The NASCAR Xfinity Series saw a staggering boost in viewership with its debut on The CW Network, breaking its own record by delivering its largest TV audience since July. The race at Bristol Motor Speedway averaged 906,000 viewers, with peak viewership exceeding 1 million viewers.
This marked the highest Xfinity Series audience since July 20th and set a new ratings milestone for The CW Network, its best in over eight months. Viewership was also 16% higher than the previous race at Watkins Glen, according to a report by Blackbookmotorsport.com.
NASCAR finalized a seven-year media rights extension worth US$7.7 billion with Fox Sports, NBC, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), and Amazon toward the end of last year. However, it chose to follow a different approach with the Xfinity Series. The second-tier championship now operates independently from the big deal, with The CW Network, which is majority-owned by the Nexstar Media Group, gaining exclusive rights to the series.
This also marks the first time when all Xfinity Series races will be available on free-to-air (FTA) television in the US. All content is said to be produced in its entirety by NASCAR Productions, which launched a new US$53 million facility in time for this groundbreaking agreement.
Getty Images/James Gilbert
The agreement with The CW Network’s acquisition of exclusive rights to the Xfinity Series is reported to be worth US$800 million, extending through the 2031 season. Although the contract was set to begin next season, the network agreed to broadcast the final eight races of 2024, with NBC Sports handling production. This early debut sets the stage for a seamless transition into their long-term partnership.
However, this isn’t the first foray of The CW Network into Motorsport. In partnership with Penske Entertainment and Vice Media Group, The CW Network premiered a six-part docuseries titled ‘100 Days to Indy’ on April 27, 2023. The series offered fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at drivers’ preparations for the biggest race in IndyCar.
Following the success of the Xfinity Series’ regular season finale at Bristol Motor Speedway, the attention now turns to the upcoming postseason event at Kansas Speedway. It remains to be seen what viewership numbers the Kansas Lottery 300, scheduled for September 28th, will generate.
As per a report from last year, the NASCAR Xfinity Series drew an average of around one million viewers per race on a combination of cable and broadcast television. Speaking about the partnership with The CW Network, the senior vice president for media and productions at NASCAR, Brian Herbst said:
“CW’s leadership shared a compelling vision for cultivating the next generation of NASCAR talent by bringing the NASCAR Xfinity Series exclusively to broadcast television and we are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with them.
“With more than one million viewers tuning in each week to see NASCAR’s future stars battle some of its biggest names at our most legendary tracks, NASCAR Xfinity Series consistently delivers the moments that excite current fans and create new fans of our great sport.”
