NASCAR
The CW Becomes Exclusive Television Home for NASCAR Xfinity Series Starting in 2025
BURBANK, Calif. – The first piece of NASCAR’s future media rights deal has fallen into place. Starting in 2025, The CW Network will be the exclusive television home of the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Lasting through the 2031 season, The CW will broadcast all 33 Xfinity races live plus all practice and qualifying. This is a historic day for Xfinity, NASCAR’s second-tier division will soon be available on free, over-the-air broadcast television for the first time ever.
The Emmy Award-winning NASCAR Productions group will fully produce all Xfinity broadcasts, in a new partnership with The CW Network.
NASCAR Xfinity Series races attract a viewership average of roughly 1 million fans per race. This previously came on a combination of both cable and broadcast channels. 2025 marks a departure from this norm, with Xfinity now entirely aired on broadcast television. This partnership with The CW highlights recent trends with sports leagues putting greater importance on broadcast television time. The NASCAR Xfinity Series will now have a consistent platform for maximum potential fan reach.
“Landing the NASCAR Xfinity Series is a game changer for The CW and our CW Sports division and represents another important building block in our programming strategy,” said Dennis Miller, President of The CW. “Live sports are the most watched television content and with The CW’s national reach. Moving the NASCAR Xfinity Series to The CW will transform and elevate the viewing experience for the series and its fans. The CW has quickly become a destination for sports. The NASCAR Xfinity Series joins our growing slate of sports programming, including INSIDE THE NFL, ACC college football and basketball, LIV Golf, and the motorsports documentary series 100 DAYS TO INDY. Beginning in 2025, The CW will have 48 weekends per year of live sports programming. With ubiquitous distribution across one of the nation’s five major broadcast networks, NASCAR Xfinity Series races on The CW will deliver more access for fans and far more revenue opportunities for The CW and its affiliates.”
Brian Herbst, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President for Media and Productions 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.”
“Live sports are key to expanding broadcast audiences and are valuable to our network affiliates and cable, satellite, telco and streaming distribution partners as well as The CW and its parent company, Nexstar Media Group, Inc,” Miller said. “Nexstar’s owned and operated stations and The CW’s nationwide affiliate network will allow us to create local excitement for the Xfinity Series as we expand its reach and drive viewership growth. This will deliver a larger audience for NASCAR Xfinity Series competitions, its major sponsors and CW advertisers looking for national brand awareness and local activation. In addition, by creating a singular home for NASCAR Xfinity Series races, fans will be able to quickly find their favorite racing entertainment each weekend. Ultimately, bringing NASCAR Xfinity Series racing to The CW is a win-win for everyone – fans, drivers, teams, sponsors and affiliates. We can’t wait for the green flag to begin flying on The CW in 2025.”
Andy Alford, President of Nexstar’s Broadcasting Division also said, “Nexstar is already NASCAR’s third-largest broadcast partner, carrying NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series races across its FOX and NBC affiliates and has a deep understanding of NASCAR’s value. NASCAR’s loyal and passionate fan base and adrenaline-fueled races will provide CW stations with highly valuable live sports content that can deliver big audiences. These exciting events resonate in our local markets and with a local Nexstar station within driving distance of each and every NASCAR market. We are uniquely suited to drive attendance, viewership and revenues through local coverage, fan engagement, promotion and value-added marketing solutions for advertisers and brands.”
The 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series has seen several highlights so far through their opening 19 races. Xfinity has seen 11 different winners this season, tied for the fifth best all-time at this point. The average age of the 2023 Xfinity Series winners this season is 29-years-old. This list also includes first-time Series winners Sammy Smith, Chandler Smith and Ryan Truex. Sammy Smith (18) is the youngest winner so far in 2023.
The Xfinity Series truly has lived up to its moniker of ‘Where Names are Made.’ Six of the last 11 Cup Series titles have been won by past Xfinity champions. This exclusive group includes: Chase Elliott (2020), Kyle Busch (2019, 2015), Martin Truex Jr. (2017), Kevin Harvick (2014) and Brad Keselowski (2012). 13 past Xfinity Series champions also make up the current NASCAR Cup Series grid, including 2022 winner Ty Gibbs.
2025 will mark a new era for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Stay tuned for any future updates on NASCAR’s remaining media rights plans.
Written by Peter Stratta
Be sure to follow us on Twitter
Be sure to follow the writer on Twitter
Photo Credit to Sean Gardner/Getty Images
