With Poor Ratings, NBC Passes On NASCAR

(From Sports TV Production)

NBC has passed on a new contract with NASCAR for their 2006 season and beyond. NBC currently splits half of NASCAR's 36-race schedule with FOX as part of a six-year, $2.8 billion deal that began in 2001.

Stepping up to the plate to replace NBC and Time Warner's TNT -- Disney's ABC and ESPN, according to THE NEW YORK TIMES which will soon announce a deal to show the races from July through November on ESPN and ABC.

NASCAR is second only to THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE (NFL) in terms of television viewership, although the second half of the season has traditionally trailed the first half as the last few months have to go up against football broadcasts on most weekends.

The six-year ESPN/ABC deal would be worth an estimated $280 million annually starting with the 2007 season and lasting through 2012, executives familiar with talks told THE TIMES. That's 40 percent more than the $200 million a year that the NBC/TNT joint venture has paid since 2001.

NBC had an exclusive period of negotiations through the end of the year but chose earlier this month not to pursue a renewal because of the financial losses it incurred during its five seasons televising NASCAR and demands for higher rights fees from NASCAR, according to THE TIMES report. It added that by waiving its right to exclusive talks with NASCAR, NBC opened the door for talks to accelerate with ESPN and ABC.

NASCAR's current television package was a landmark deal for the stock-car series when it was agreed to in 1999. Before reaching the agreement with NBC and FOX, NASCAR received just
$3 million for TV rights to 28-races.

ESPN and ABC SPORTS are expected to announce soon they have acquired the July-to-November package.