Nearly ten years after taking a chance on Versus, IndyCar is putting down roots with that network’s successor.
NBC Sports has acquired exclusive rights to IndyCar Series racing under a three-year deal that begins next year, it was announced Wednesday. Under the deal, the Indianapolis 500 will move to the NBC broadcast network for the first time, ending its 54-year association with ABC.
In addition to the Indy 500, NBC will carry seven other races. That will increase IndyCar’s over-the-air presence from five to eight windows.
The remaining races will air on NBCSN. The NBC over-the-top service NBC Sports Gold will air the qualifying and practice races that are not televised live.
The new IndyCar TV deal would appear to satisfy the two key needs identified by series CEO Mark Miles — consolidating rights with one partner and getting more races on broadcast television.
IndyCar’s relationship with NBC dates back to Comcast’s acquisition of NBC Universal in 2011. The series had a pre-existing relationship with Comcast-owned Versus, which was rebranded as NBCSN after the merger.
As for ESPN/ABC, the current season marks the end of a decades-long run. Beyond the Indy 500, which began airing on ABC in 1965, ESPN/ABC has carried IndyCar every year since it launched in the mid-1990s.
[Wed. news from NBC Sports PR 3.21]
