Get ready for a major shake-up in how you watch NASCAR! After this weekend’s race in Las Vegas, the NASCAR Cup Series is switching broadcasters, and it’s a change that’s been a long time coming. But here’s where it gets controversial: not everyone is thrilled with how this season’s TV schedule has played out. Let’s break it down.
Today’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marks the official start of the Round of 8 in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. But it also signals the end of USA Network’s run as the primary broadcaster for this season. After this race, USA Network will hand the baton back to NBC for the remaining races—a shift that’s been a hot topic among fans and industry insiders alike.
And this is the part most people miss: NBC’s portion of the broadcast schedule was trimmed from the usual 20 races to just 14 this year, thanks to NASCAR’s massive $7.7 billion, seven-year media rights deal with Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports. Since early August, when NBC took over from TNT Sports at Iowa Speedway, only one of the 11 races has actually aired live on NBC—the rest have been on USA Network. Why? Because USA Network, which is being spun off into a new company called Versant, has been NBC’s go-to alternate channel since 2022. Before that, NBC Sports Network held this role until it shut down in 2021, though rumors suggest it might make a comeback someday.
USA Network kicked off NBC’s portion of the schedule with three consecutive races in August, but the first race to air live on NBC itself wasn’t until the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway on August 23. Since then, all six playoff races have been on USA Network, including today’s South Point 400. But after this weekend, NBC is back in the driver’s seat, broadcasting the final races of the season live.
This includes next Sunday’s high-octane race at Talladega Superspeedway, the Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway the following weekend, and the Championship 4 season finale at Phoenix Raceway in early November. So, if you’ve been wondering why your favorite races haven’t been on NBC, now you know—but the wait is almost over.
Here’s the bold question: Is this broadcast shuffle a step forward for NASCAR, or has it left fans feeling disconnected? With Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports now in the mix, the landscape of NASCAR broadcasting is more complex than ever. Does this new deal prioritize profit over fan experience, or is it a necessary evolution in the sport’s media strategy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
For now, don’t miss today’s South Point 400 live on USA Network at 5:30 p.m. ET, and mark your calendars for October 19, when NBC takes over with the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway at 2:00 p.m. ET. If you’re worried about missing any of the action, start a free trial of FuboTV and catch every heart-pounding moment of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs!
