Some see yesterday's announcement that NASCAR will be moving to NBC Sports Group in 2015 as a shot in the back to NBC's other racing properties, mostly IndyCar, but it isn't. NASCAR's move to NBC cements the networks interest in motor racing and will strengthen the other series on the network.
NASCAR has the reputation of being a bully when it comes to television coverage. On SPEED, NASCAR took over, knocking out coverage of many other forms of motorsports and taking priority for even something as minute as a practice session. NASCAR has the nightly television shows covering every detail while all of form of motorsports are jammed into the whatever NASCAR did not use on the Sunday night editions of SpeedCenter and Wind Tunnel and not mentioned again on the network during the week. With SPEED on it's death bed, it's hard to put it any other way than NASCAR took over the network and made it their own.
However, I think NBC will not be the same. Yes, NBC Sports Group has the rights to practice and qualifying but don't expect them to go over board. With online coverage of sports expanding, it wouldn't be crazy to think practice sessions could be streamed if there is a scheduling conflict. NBC has many more properties that aren't racing series. I don't think NBCSN will preempt a National Hockey League game, a Major League Soccer or English Premier League match for a NASCAR practice.
While NASCAR will air twenty Sprint Cup races, nineteen Nationwide races and other races from the regional touring divisions, there is still plenty of room for IndyCar and Formula One on NBC and NBCSN. The network will not purposely schedule NASCAR and IndyCar races at the same time. Although, ESPN and ABC does now, I hope they will try to make the most of their properties. Hypothetically, you could have a full day of Formula One in the morning, IndyCar in the early afternoon and NASCAR in the late afternoon or NASCAR at 3:00 p.m., IndyCar at 7:00 p.m. with a Formula One race at 1 a.m. the next morning. What a dream for race fans. Not to mention the possibility of United SportsCar Racing heading to NBC as well. If anything, with NBC taking over NASCAR majority of the NASCAR races, there can finally be a liaison that I recommended about a month ago to communicate between NASCAR, IndyCar and NBC to makes sure races do not conflict with one another.
Since acquiring IndyCar and Formula One, NBC has brought in the most professional individuals for the broadcasts. From Bob Jenkins in the beginning of their IndyCar coverage to Will Buxton, NBC has brought in the right people and I expect the same for NASCAR. Allen Bestwick has worked for the network before and will be a free agent after 2014. Dale Jarrett is a great color commentator and should be considered by NBC. The big questions will be the ESPN lifers Jerry Punch, Mike Massaro, Rusty Wallace, Ricky Craven, Vince Welch and Jaime Little to name a few. Punch, Welch and Little all work the Indianapolis 500 with Little and Welch working all IndyCar races on ABC but will they stay around just for a handful of races? Will NBC bring in the same amount of people ESPN has covering the races? Even NBC has two different crews for IndyCar and Indy Lights. It wouldn't be tough to see NBC has a Sprint Cup TV crew and a Nationwide TV crew with maybe one or two crossovers. NBC has cross pollinated with Formula One and IndyCar this year. We've seen David Hobbs, Steve Matchett and Will Buxton all cover IndyCar races in 2013 and Hobbs covered NASCAR races back in the CBS days including the 1979 Daytona 500, the first NASCAR race shown live flag-to-flag. I don't see why they couldn't bring one if not all those guys to a NASCAR race or two over the season.
As long as NBC avoids the pitfalls SPEED made, NASCAR will only enhance the other racing properties shown on the NBC family of networks. Should sports cars be added, NBC will have the king's ransom of motorsports in the United States. IndyCar and Formula One fans should welcome NASCAR but it is understandable why they are pessimistic about NASCAR moving to NBC. Let's hope NBC doesn't put their eggs all in one basket and give each a fair share of the coverage.
Covering All Motorsports. From Indianapolis to Le Mans, Daytona to Monaco.
