Get ready for a seismic shift in how you watch NASCAR! After this weekend’s race in Las Vegas, the NASCAR Cup Series is hitting the brakes on USA Network broadcasts for the rest of the season. But here’s where it gets controversial: Is this change a win for fans, or just another headache in the ever-evolving world of sports streaming? Let’s break it down.
Today’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marks the beginning of the Round of 8 in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. But it’s also the final race you’ll see on USA Network this year. Why? Because NBC is reclaiming its spotlight—sort of. Thanks to NASCAR’s massive $7.7 billion media rights deal with Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports, NBC’s share of the broadcast schedule shrank from 20 races to just 14 this season. And this is the part most people miss: Since early August, when NBC’s portion kicked off at Iowa Speedway, only one of the 11 races has actually aired live on NBC. The rest? They’ve been parked on USA Network.
USA Network, soon to be spun off from NBC into a new company called Versant, has been the go-to alternate channel for NBCUniversal since 2022. Before that, NBC Sports Network held the reins until it shut down in 2021—though rumors swirl it might make a comeback someday. This year, USA Network took the wheel for NBC’s portion, airing three straight races in August. The first race to actually air live on NBC this season? The regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway on August 23. Since then, it’s been all USA Network, including today’s 267-lap race around the 1.5-mile Las Vegas oval.
But after this weekend, NBC is back in the driver’s seat. All remaining Cup Series races—including the Talladega Superspeedway race next Sunday, the Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway, and the Championship 4 season finale at Phoenix Raceway in November—will air live on NBC. Is this a return to simplicity, or just another layer of complexity for fans? Let us know what you think in the comments.
For now, tune in to USA Network at 5:30 p.m. ET today to catch the South Point 400 live from Las Vegas. Then, mark your calendars for October 19 at 2:00 p.m. ET, when NBC takes over with the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Don’t miss a second of the action—start a free trial of FuboTV (http://www.fubo.tv/welcome?irad=343747&irmp=1412332&subId1=FS-2024streaming) and stay in the race for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs!
