BURBANK, Calif. — The CW Network will become the exclusive home to NASCAR Xfinity Series racing on television beginning in 2025 and extending through the 2031 season.
The CW will broadcast 33 live NASCAR Xfinity Series races annually, along with practice and qualifying events each weekend.
Starting in 2025, for the first time in series history, every NASCAR Xfinity Series race will be available on free, over-the-air broadcast television with additional content available through The CW’s digital platforms.
All NASCAR Xfinity Series races and ancillary content will be fully produced by the Emmy Award-winning NASCAR Productions group, in close collaboration with The CW Network.
Comprised primarily of NASCAR’s younger, up-and-coming drivers, the NASCAR Xfinity Series features the sport’s future stars often competing side-by-side against NASCAR’s biggest names – many of whom earned their stripes and won championships in the Xfinity Series.
NASCAR Xfinity Series races in some of the nation’s largest markets — from Chicago to Los Angeles to Miami — and at the sport’s most iconic tracks, including Daytona Int’l Speedway, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and the series championship at Phoenix Raceway.
NASCAR Xfinity Series races draw an average of approximately 1 million viewers per race each season, historically airing on a combination of cable and broadcast television, but will now be entirely and exclusively distributed on broadcast television.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series agreement with The CW underscores recent trends in which major sports properties have prioritized broadcast television to ensure the widest reach for their fan base and industry.
“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 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, as 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.”
NASCAR saw the broad appeal of The CW.
“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,” said Brian Herbst, senior vice president, media and productions for NASCAR. “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.”
Nexstar Media Group is the parent company of The CW.
“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,” said Andy Alford, president of Nexstar’s Broadcasting Division. “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.”