Sports Media News

Keeping Up With All The Industry Press Releases

IMSA WEATHERTECH CHAMPIONSHIP BEGINS 2021 SEASON WITH ROAR BEFORE THE ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA THIS SUNDAY AT 4:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

By Leave a Comment

Complete 2021 IMSA WeatherTech Championship Broadcast Schedule Announced; NBC Sports Delivered Significant IMSA Viewership Gains in 2020

2021 Supercross Season Continues with Pair of Races in Houston: Round 2 Tonight at 10:30 p.m. ET and Round 3 on Sat., Jan. 23, at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Peacock Premium is New Streaming Home of Supercross

STAMFORD, Conn. – Jan. 19, 2021 – The 2021 IMSA WeatherTech Championship season gets underway this Sunday with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona’s inaugural Pole Award race at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The 100-minute long Pole Award race determines the field’s starting positions for the Rolex 24 At Daytona and is expected to feature a collection of racing superstars from across the world including Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, Scott Dixon, Alexander Rossi, Helio Castroneves, and Kevin Magnussen, among others. Details for NBC Sports’ comprehensive coverage of the 59th Running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona will be announced in the near future.

Last year, NBC Sports delivered significant viewership gains and milestones for IMSA producing a 21% increase in viewership for 19 race telecasts across NBC and NBCSN, and an 89% increase in viewership since acquiring rights prior to the 2019 season. Click here for more info.

IMSA: ROAR BEFORE THE ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA

Broadcast Team

  • Play by Play: Dave Burns
  • Analysts: Calvin Fish
  • Pit Reporter: Kevin Lee

Below is the complete NBC Sports 2021 IMSA telecast schedule:

NBC SPORTS 2021 IMSA SCHEDULE

Date Event Network Time (ET)
Sun., Jan. 24 Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona* NBCSN 4:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 30 Rolex 24 At Daytona NBC 3:30 p.m.
Rolex 24 At Daytona NBCSN 4:30 p.m.
Rolex 24 At Daytona NBCSN 11 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 31 Rolex 24 At Daytona NBCSN 6 a.m.
  Rolex 24 At Daytona NBC 2 p.m.
Sat., March 20 12 Hours of Sebring NBCSN 7 p.m.
Sun., May 16 Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio NBCSN 2:30 p.m.
Sat., June 5 Detroit Grand Prix NBCSN 1 p.m.
Sun., June 27 Six Hours of the Glen NBCSN 7 p.m.
Sun., July 4 Sportscar Grand Prix NBCSN Noon
Sat., July 17 Northeast Grand Prix* NBCSN 5 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 8 IMSA Sportscar Weekend* NBCSN 8 p.m.
Sun., Aug. 22 Michelin GT Challenge at VIR NBC 3 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 12 Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca NBCSN 4 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 25 Grand Prix of Long Beach NBCSN 5 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 9 Petit Le Mans NBC Noon
Petit Le Mans NBCSN 3 p.m.

*Same day-delay

Note: all coverage streams on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app

Live streaming coverage of all races throughout the 2021 season will be available exclusively on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.

MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS: HOUSTON

Broadcast Team

  • Play by Play: Leigh Diffey
  • Analyst: Ricky Carmichael
  • Host: Daniel Blair
  • Reporter: Will Christien

HOW TO WATCH

  • TV – NBCSN
  • Streaming – Peacock Premium
Date Coverage Network/Streaming Time (ET)
Tues., Jan. 19 Monster Energy Supercross – Event Peacock Premium 8:30 p.m.
  Monster Energy Supercross – Event NBCSN^ 10:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 23 Monster Energy Supercross – Qualifying Peacock Premium 2 p.m.
  Monster Energy Supercross – Event NBCSN* 8 p.m.

*also streams live on Peacock Premium

^Same-day delay

BROADCAST NOTES

  • Season Opening Victories: Justin Barcia won the Monster Energy Supercross season opener for the third consecutive year on Saturday in the 450SX Class, while Christian Craig earned his second career victory in the 250SX Class.
  • Streaming: Peacock Premium, the new streaming home of Supercross, provides live and commercial-free coverage of qualifiers and races as well as on-demand replays.

Monster Energy Supercross and IMSA are part of NBC Sports’ “Home of Motorsports” programming throughout 2021, spanning NASCAR, INDYCAR, Mecum Auctions, the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, MotoGP, Monster Jam, American Flat Track, Dakar Rally, and more.

–NBC SPORTS–

IMSA WEATHERTECH CHAMPIONSHIP ON NBC SPORTS PRODUCES SIGNIFICANT VIEWERSHIP GAINS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR

By

Viewership Across NBC Sports Posts 21% Gains vs. 2019

IMSA Viewership on NBC Sports Nearly Doubled in Two Years Since Acquiring Rights, Up 89% vs. 2018

Rolex 24 At Daytona Averages Nearly 1 Million Viewers on NBC on Jan. 26; Most-Watched IMSA Race Since 2014

July Race at Sebring on NBCSN Delivers Network’s Most-Watched IMSA Race On Record

STAMFORD, Conn. – December 8, 2020 – NBC Sports delivered significant viewership gains and milestones for the second straight year for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2020, producing a 21% increase in viewership for 19 race telecasts across NBC, and NBCSN, despite the season being significantly affected by COVID-19.

NBC Sports’ 2020 IMSA WeatherTech Championship coverage across NBC and NBCSN averaged 242,000 viewers, according to Nielsen. NBC Sports has nearly doubled viewership for the IMSA WeatherTech Championship in two years since acquiring the rights, up 89% from the 2018 season (128,000 viewers on FOX/FS1/FS2).

Season-long viewership highlights are headlined by NBC Sports’ coverage of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 26, which averaged nearly 1 million viewers (996,000) on NBC to rank as the most-watched IMSA race since 2014 (Petit Le Mans, 2014; 1.160 million).

In addition, coverage from Sebring International Raceway on July 18 on NBCSN produced the network’s most-watched IMSA race since acquiring broadcast rights prior to the 2019 season, averaging 358,000 viewers.

IMSA viewership gains come on the heels of strong season-long viewership for NBC Sports’ coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series and the NTT INDYCAR Series. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series averaged a TAD of 3.235 million viewers on NBC, up 3% vs. 2019, while NBC Sports’ INDYCAR viewership on NBC and NBCSN was up 2% vs. 2019, when excluding the rescheduled Indianapolis 500.

-NBC SPORTS-

IMSA 12 HOURS OF SEBRING PRESENTED LIVE TOMORROW ON NBC AND NBCSN, BEGINNING AT 10 A.M. ET

By

Over 12 Hours of Continuous IMSA Coverage Across NBC and NBCSN

12 NBC Sports IMSA, NASCAR and INDYCAR Commentators to Call the Season Finale

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Stars Scott Dixon, Simon Pagenaud, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alexander Rossi, Helio Castroneves and Colton Herta Slated to Compete

STAMFORD, Conn. – Nov. 13, 2020 – All 12 hours of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring season finale will be presented live tomorrow on NBC and NBCSN, beginning at 10 a.m. ET on NBCSN from Sebring International Raceway. Championships in two classes will be decided at the prestigious endurance race — Daytona Prototype international (DPi) and GT Daytona (GTD).

COMMENTATORS

A total of 12 NBC Sports IMSA, NASCAR and INDYCAR commentators will call the action throughout the day, including:

  • Play-by-play: Leigh Diffey, Kevin Lee
  • Analysts: Paul Tracy, Townsend Bell, Calvin Fish, AJ Allmendinger, Brian Till
  • Pit Reporters: Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Parker Kligerman, James Hinchcliffe, Dillon Welch

HOW TO WATCH

Coverage will begin at 10 a.m. ET on NBCSN, before switching to NBC at 3 p.m. ET for a three-hour window. The final four-plus hours of the race will be presented on NBCSN, with coverage concluding at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Date Event Time (ET) Network*
Sat., Nov. 14 IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring 10 a.m. NBCSN
IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring 3 p.m. NBC
IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring 6 p.m. NBCSN

*all coverage also streams on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app as well as on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

  • NBC Sports’ INDYCAR analyst Townsend Bell will pull double duty, competing as part of the No. 12 AIM Vasser Sullivan/Lexus team in the GTD class and providing commentary throughout the day.
  • Reigning six-time INDYCAR champion Scott Dixon will compete as part of the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac team alongside Renger van der Zande and Ryan Briscoe, who are second in the DPi class points standings.
  • 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi joins Acura Team Penske’s No. 7 team of three-time ‘500’ winner Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor, who currently lead the DPi standings.

OTHER NOTABLE INDYCAR DRIVERS EXPECTED TO RACE

  • 2016 series champion and 2019 Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud (DPi class)
  • 2014 Indy 500 winner and 2012 series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay (DPi class)
  • Andretti Autosport driver and 3-time INDYCAR race winner Colton Herta (GTLM class)

— NBC SPORTS —

NASCAR PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 8 TO CONCLUDE AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY THIS SUNDAY AT 1:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

By

Sunday’s Cup Series Coverage Begins at 1:30 p.m. ET with Countdown to Green on NBC; Green Flag at 2 p.m. ET

NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Round of 8 in Martinsville – Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC

Kyle Larson Joins The Dale Jr. Download – Tonight at 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca – Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 29, 2020 – The “Championship 4” Drivers in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series Playoffs will be decided at Martinsville Speedway this weekend on NBC, headlined by Cup Series racing Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC. Sunday’s pre-race coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET with Countdown to Green.

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch earned his first win of the season last night at Texas Motor Speedway in a rain-delayed race that took three days to complete. Joey Logano has earned a spot in the Cup Series Championship 4 following his victory in Kansas earlier this month. A win by any of the seven remaining contenders at Martinsville earns them an automatic berth in the Championship race at Phoenix (Sun., Nov. 8 on NBC).

2020 NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS – ROUND OF 8

Drivers Points
Joey Logano 1 win
Kevin Harvick +42
Denny Hamlin +27
Brad Keselowski +25
Alex Bowman -25
Chase Elliott -25
Martin Truex Jr. -36
Kurt Busch -81

NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM MARTINSVILLE – SUNDAY AT 1:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

Host Krista Voda, NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee and 1999 NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett and auto racing icon Kyle Petty will provide pre- and post-race studio coverage.

NBC Sports’ lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen will call the Cup Series race this weekend from Martinsville Speedway alongside Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte, 21-time Cup Series race winner Jeff Burton and two-time Daytona 500 Champion and recent NASCAR Hall of Fame selection Dale Earnhardt Jr. NBC Sports’ booth commentators will be on-site to call the remaining two races of the NASCAR season.

Marty Snider, Dave Burns and Parker Kligerman will serve as pit reporters on-site from Martinsville.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM MARTINSVILLE – SATURDAY AT 3:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 will come to a finish at Martinsville on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC. Last weekend, Harrison Burton passed Noah Gragson on the final corner of the final lap to win at Texas and prevent Gragson from clinching a spot in the Championship 4. Chase Briscoe secured a spot in the Championship 4 after his win at Kansas Speedway earlier this month.

2020 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS – ROUND OF 8

Drivers Points
Chase Briscoe 1 win
Austin Cindric +14
Justin Allgaier +9
Justin Haley +4
Brandon Jones -4
Ross Chastain -15
Noah Gragson -24
Ryan Sieg -43

Allen, Letarte, Burton and Earnhardt Jr. will call the race. Snider, Burns and Kligerman will provide reports from pit road.

2020 PIT CREW ALL-STARS TO BE RECOGNIZED DURING NASCAR PLAYOFFS

During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, NBC Sports will salute this year’s Pit Crew All-Stars. This group of unsung heroes – 16 in all, matching the 16 Playoff drivers – comes from the ranks of over-the-wall crew members, engineers, shop employees, hauler drivers, and/or team officials. Throughout the Playoffs, NBC will showcase the All-Stars’ stories, and what makes them and their abilities so special.

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP AT WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA – SUNDAY AT 6:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN  

The two-hour and forty-minute Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will be presented on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. All four classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will compete on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit in Monterey, Calif. INDYCAR on NBC analyst Townsend Bell will compete for the No. 12 AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus team in the GT Daytona class.

Live streaming coverage of the event will air at 4 p.m. ET on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.

Leigh Diffey will handle play-by-play duties alongside analysts AJ Allmendinger and Calvin Fish. Kelli Stavast and Kevin Lee will provide reports on-site from pit road.

KYLE LARSON JOINS THE DALE JR. DOWNLOAD – TONIGHT AT 9 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Professional stock car racer Kyle Larson is this week’s guest on The Dale Jr. Download that airs tonight at 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Earnhardt Jr. and Larson discuss Larson’s NASCAR reinstatement and his path back from a suspension for his use of a racial slur. Yesterday, it was announced that Larson will drive the No. 5 car for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series next season.

Produced on-site at Dirty Mo Media Studios in Mooresville, N.C., The Dale Jr. Download on NBCSN takes viewers couch-side for the taping of the motorsports icon’s weekly podcast, featuring unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and insight that fans have come to expect from Dale Jr.

Highlighted quotes from the episode are below:

Larson on accountability following his suspension: “(What) goes the furthest are actions and actually doing things rather than talking…it’s definitely going to take a lot longer than these six months to really get people to forgive me and get to see who I really am. That’s important to me and I know it is going to take a long time.”

Larson on how he plans to continue to educate himself and others: “As you educate yourself more, it definitely continues to change you. I don’t plan on stopping what I’ve been doing…everything that I’ve been doing, and coming up with ideas of things to do, I’ve never wanted it to be a ‘check the box’ thing. I’ve wanted to be authentic, genuine through it all…I plan to do more…and be part of the solution.”

MECUM AUCTIONS INDIANAPOLIS – COVERAGE BEGINS TODAY AT 11 A.M. ET ON NBCSN

Over 10 hours of live Mecum Auctions ‘Indy Fall Special’ coverage from the Indiana State Fairgrounds will be presented this week, beginning today at 11 a.m. ET with a five-hour window on NBCSN. Featured cars that will cross the auction block can be viewed here.

Scott Hoke will host coverage on-site in Indianapolis, alongside analysts John Kraman and Stephen Cox, and reporters Bill Stephens and Katie Osborne.

Following is this week’s motorsports programming across NBC Sports:

DATE COVERAGE TIME (ET) NETWORK/PLATFORM
Thurs., Oct. 29 Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis 11 a.m. NBCSN
  The Dale Jr. Download – Kyle Larson 9 p.m. NBCSN
Fri., Oct. 30 Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis 11 a.m. NBCSN
Sat., Oct. 31 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Martinsville 3:30 p.m. NBC
  Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis* 8 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., Nov. 1 Cup Series – Countdown to Green 1:30 p.m. NBC
  NASCAR Cup Series Race – Martinsville 2 p.m. NBC
  IMSA WeatherTech Series – Laguna Seca 4 p.m. TrackPass
  Cup Series Post-Race 6 p.m. NBCSN
  IMSA WeatherTech Series – Laguna Seca* 6:30 p.m. NBCSN

*same-day delay

NBC SPORTS’ NASCAR COVERAGE

NBC Sports is the official home of the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs, covering the race for the NASCAR Cup Series & NASCAR Xfinity Series championships. NBC Sports’ NASCAR programming also includes NBCSN’s daily motorsports show, NASCAR America; races from NASCAR’s regional touring series; annual events such as the NASCAR Cup Series Awards and NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony; and original programming specials.

–NBC SPORTS–

NBC SPORTS HEADS TO KANSAS SPEEDWAY AS NASCAR PLAYOFFS ROUND OF 8 BEGINS THIS SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBC

By

Sunday’s Cup Series Coverage Begins at 2 p.m. ET on NBC With Countdown to Green; Green Flag at 2:30 p.m. ET

Nearly 12 Hours of Motorsports Saturday on NBCSN; IMSA Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta Begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, Followed by NASCAR Xfinity Series at 6:30 p.m. ET

NBC Sports’ NASCAR Booth Hits the Road for First Time This Season to Call Races at Kansas Speedway

2020 INDYCAR Championship will be Decided in Streets of St. Petersburg in 10 Days – Sunday, October 25 – on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 15, 2020 – The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 will get underway at Kansas Speedway this Sunday at 2 p.m. ET with Countdown to Green on NBC. Green flag for the Hollywood Casino 400 will wave shortly after 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Throughout Sunday’s pre-race and race coverage, NBC Sports’ Rutledge Wood and former NFL player and Super Bowl XLVII champion Bernard Pollard will join the broadcast to discuss Pollard’s newly found passion and love for NASCAR.

The Xfinity Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 will begin at Kansas on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, part of nearly 12 hours of motorsports coverage during the day, which kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET with the IMSA Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream IMSA coverage at 6:30 p.m. ET, and NBCSN picks up the conclusion of the race at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Following Chase Elliott’s win last Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, the Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 has been finalized. A win by any of the eight remaining contenders over the next three races at Kansas, Texas and Martinsville earns them an automatic berth in the Championship race at Phoenix (Sun., Nov. 8 on NBC).

2020 NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS – ROUND OF 8

Drivers Points
Kevin Harvick 4067
Denny Hamlin 4054
Brad Keselowski 4035
Chase Elliott 4027
Joey Logano 4022
Martin Truex Jr. 4017
Alex Bowman 4009
Kurt Busch 4006

 

NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM KANSAS – SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBC

Host Krista Voda, NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee and 1999 NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett and auto racing icon Kyle Petty will provide pre- and post-race studio coverage.

NBC Sports’ lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen will call the Cup Series race this weekend from Kansas Speedway alongside Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte, 21-time Cup Series race winner Jeff Burton and two-time Daytona 500 Champion and recent NASCAR Hall of Fame selection Dale Earnhardt Jr. NBC Sports’ booth commentators will be on-site to call the remaining races of the NASCAR season, after calling all prior races in 2020 from the broadcast booth at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Marty Snider, Dave Burns and Parker Kligerman will serve as pit reporters on-site from Kansas.

XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM KANSAS – SATURDAY AT 6:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The Xfinity Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 will begin Saturday at Kansas Speedway, with coverage on NBCSN beginning with Countdown to Green at 6:30 p.m. ET leading into Xfinity Series racing at 7 p.m. ET. Brandon Jones, who starts the Round of 8 in sixth place, has won the last two Xfinity Series races at Kansas.

2020 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS – ROUND OF 8

Drivers Points
Chase Briscoe 3060
Austin Cindric 3050
Justin Allgaier 3033
Noah Gragson 3025
Justin Haley 3023
Brandon Jones 3020
Ross Chastain 3010
Ryan Sieg 3002

 

Allen, Letarte and Burton will call the race. Snider, Burns and Kligerman will provide reports from pit road.

2020 PIT CREW ALL-STARS TO BE RECOGNIZED DURING NASCAR PLAYOFFS

During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, NBC Sports will salute this year’s Pit Crew All-Stars. This group of unsung heroes – 16 in all, matching the 16 Playoff drivers – comes from the ranks of over-the-wall crew members, engineers, shop employees, hauler drivers, and/or team officials. Throughout the Playoffs, NBC will showcase the All-Stars’ stories, and what makes them and their abilities so special.

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP PETIT LE MANS AT ROAD ATLANTA – SATURDAY AT 12:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The 10-hour Petit Le Mans endurance race from Road Atlanta will be presented live across NBC Sports on Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.  NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app provide exclusive streaming coverage at 6:30 p.m. ET, before returning to NBCSN for the conclusion of the race at 9:30 p.m. ET. Flag-to-flag coverage will stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

All four classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will compete on the 12-turn, 2.54-mile Road Atlanta circuit in Braselton, Ga. As the IMSA regulars continue their championship battles, multiple NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers have joined them for Saturday’s race, including five-time INDYCAR champion Scott Dixon, who will compete with fellow past Indy 500 winners Simon Pagenaud, Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay in the DPi class. Additionally, 20-year-old Colton Herta will also compete in the GT Le Mans class.

Nine NBC Sports commentators will contribute to the Petit Le Mans, featuring Leigh Diffey and Kevin Lee (play-by-play), Calvin Fish (analyst), James Hinchcliffe (analyst) and AJ Allmendinger (analyst), who’s coming off a NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at the ROVAL last weekend. INDYCAR on NBC analyst and current IMSA driver Townsend Bell will compete for the No. 12 AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus team in the GT Daytona class and will also serve as an analyst for portions of the race.

Kelli Stavast, Dillon Welch and Brian Till will provide commentary from pit road.

2020 INDYCAR CHAMPIONSHIP – SUNDAY, OCT. 25, AT 2:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

In only 10 days, the 2020 INDYCAR Championship will be decided at the season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Five-time INDYCAR champion Scott Dixon and reigning INDYCAR champion Josef Newgarden will battle for the title on a 1.8-mile street circuit in the heart of St. Petersburg, Florida.

MECUM AUCTIONS DALLAS – COVERAGE BEGINS TODAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

15 hours of Mecum Auctions’ Dallas auction coverage will be presented over the next six days, beginning today at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Highlighted cars that will cross the auction block can be viewed here.

Scott Hoke will host coverage on-site in Dallas, alongside analysts John Kraman and Stephen Cox, and reporters Bill Stephens and Katie Osborne.

MOTOGP ARAGON GRAND PRIX – SUNDAY AT 6:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

The 2020 MotoGP season continues on Sunday with the Aragon Grand Prix from MotorLand Aragon at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Fabio Quartararo remains atop the points standings.

Following is this week’s motorsports programming across NBC Sports:

DATE COVERAGE TIME (ET) NETWORK
Thurs., Oct. 15 Mecum Auctions – Dallas* 2 p.m. NBCSN
Fri., Oct. 16 Mecum Auctions – Dallas* 12 p.m. NBCSN
Sat., Oct. 17 IMSA WeatherTech Series – Petit Le Mans 12:30 p.m. NBCSN
 

 

 Xfinity Series – Countdown to Green 6:30 p.m. NBCSN
  IMSA WeatherTech Series – Petit Le Mans 6:30 p.m. Streaming
  NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Kansas 7 p.m. NBCSN
  IMSA WeatherTech Series – Petit Le Mans 9:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Mecum Auctions – Dallas* 11 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., Oct. 18 Cup Series – Countdown to Green 2 p.m. NBC
  NASCAR Cup Series Race – Kansas 2:30 p.m. NBC
  Cup Series Post-Race 6 p.m. NBCSN
  MotoGP – Aragon Grand Prix* 6:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Mecum Auctions – Dallas^ 8 p.m. NBCSN
Tues., Oct. 20 Mecum Auctions – Dallas^ 1 p.m. NBCSN

*same-day delay

^delayed coverage

NBC SPORTS’ NASCAR COVERAGE

NBC Sports is the official home of the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs, covering the race for the NASCAR Cup Series & NASCAR Xfinity Series championships. NBC Sports’ NASCAR programming also includes NBCSN’s daily motorsports show, NASCAR America; races from NASCAR’s regional touring series; annual events such as the NASCAR Cup Series Awards and NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony; and original programming specials.

 

–NBC SPORTS–

NASCAR CUP & XFINITY, INDYCAR DOUBLEHEADER, AND IMSA DELIVER VIEWERSHIP GAINS ACROSS NBC SPORTS

By

NASCAR Cup Series from Texas Motor Speedway Up 24% vs. Last Year’s Race

Xfinity Series Up 29% & Most-Watched Texas Race on Cable in 4 Years

INDYCAR Doubleheader from Iowa on NBCSN Up Triple Digits vs. Rain-Delayed Iowa Coverage in 2019

Coverage from Sebring Delivers NBCSN’s Most-Watched IMSA Race on Record

MotoGP’s NBC Sports Debut Averages 500,000+ Viewers on NBC

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 21, 2020 – NBC Sports’ presentation of the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series from Texas Motor Speedway, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader from Iowa Speedway, and IMSA from Sebring International Raceway this past weekend all registered viewership increases across NBC, NBCSN, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app, according to Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. In addition, NBC Sports broadcast its first-ever MotoGP race Sunday on NBC.

Following are viewership highlights of all series:

NASCAR CUP & XFINITY SERIES

NBC Sports’ NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series coverage from Texas Motor Speedway on NBCSN delivered double-digit viewership gains vs. 2019 for both series. The Cup Series race on Sunday (3:26-7:18 p.m. ET) averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 2.764 million viewers, up 24% vs. last year’s Texas race (2.228 million; 11/3/19), and up 14% vs. the first race of last year’s schedule on NBCSN from Chicagoland (2.428 million; 6/30/19). Viewership peaked at more than 3.2 million TV-only viewers (3.272 million) in the 7-7:15 p.m. ET quarter hour. The race delivered a 1.71 HH rating.

Saturday’s Xfinity Series coverage on NBCSN (3:01-5:34 p.m. ET) averaged a TAD of nearly 1 million viewers (980,000), up 29% vs. last year’s race at Texas (757,000; 11/2/19) to rank as the most-watched Xfinity race from Texas on cable in four years. Viewership peaked at nearly 1.2 million viewers (1.173 million) during the 5:15-5:30 p.m. ET quarter hour, with the race delivering a 0.63 HH rating.

All four of NBC Sports’ 2020 NASCAR races (two Cup, two Xfinity) have delivered double-digit viewership gains vs. 2019, as the Cup Series Brickyard 400 and the Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 events on Fourth of July weekend posted 46% and 21% year-over-year viewership increases, respectively.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

NBC Sports presented an INDYCAR doubleheader this past weekend with primetime races from Iowa Speedway on Friday and Saturday nights on NBCSN. Across both races, Iowa averaged a TAD of 350,000 viewers, up 119% vs. Iowa’s rain-delayed coverage for a single race in 2019.

Saturday night’s telecast (8:37-10:31 p.m. ET) averaged a TAD of 362,000 viewers, up 126% vs. last year’s rain delayed coverage from Iowa (160,000) and up 6% vs. NBCSN’s two-race average for Saturday night races last season (341,000). The race delivered a 0.23 HH rating.

For only the second time in its history, NBCSN telecast a Friday night INDYCAR race this past weekend, averaging a TAD of 339,000 viewers (9:08-11:06 p.m. ET), up 112% vs. last year’s rain delayed coverage from Iowa (160,000) and up 72% compared to NBCSN’s only previous Friday night race (2009 from Japan; 11 pm ET; 197,000 viewers). The race delivered a 0.21 HH rating.

For six races so far this season (3 NBC, 3 NBCSN), INDYCAR coverage has averaged a TAD of 740,000 viewers, up 9% vs. the first six races last year on NBC/NBCSN (679,000), excluding the Indy 500.

IMSA

Saturday’s IMSA telecast from Sebring International Raceway on NBCSN (5:34-8:37 p.m. ET) averaged 357,000 viewers, making it NBC Sports’ most-watched IMSA race on record since acquiring media rights to the series last season. Viewership was also up 91% vs. the IMSA average for races on NBCSN. The race delivered a 0.23 HH rating.

MOTOGP

NBC Sports presented the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday on NBC (3-4:30 p.m. ET), its first-ever broadcast of the series. The race averaged 527,000 viewers and delivered a 0.36 HH rating.

–NBC SPORTS–

NBC SPORTS PRESENTS NASCAR, INDYCAR, IMSA, MOTOGP AND MECUM AUCTIONS THIS WEEKEND ON NBC AND NBCSN

By

NASCAR Cup Series from Texas Motor Speedway This Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN; Xfinity Series from Texas Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET

Iowa INDYCAR 250s Primetime Doubleheader on NBCSN from Iowa Speedway – Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Continues Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN from Sebring International Raceway

MotoGP Opens 2020 Season with Spanish Grand Prix from Circuito de Jerez on NBC Sunday at 3 p.m. ET

More Than 20 Hours of Mecum Auctions Coverage Continues from Indianapolis Tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 15, 2020 – NBC Sports — The Home of Motorsports — presents a full weekend of motorsports action, featuring NASCAR, INDYCAR, IMSA, MotoGP, Mecum Auctions and American Flat Track, totaling nearly 60 hours of coverage across NBC, NBCSN, and NBC Sports Gold.

NASCAR Cup Series coverage of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 from Texas Motor Speedway begins with NASCAR America on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN. On Saturday, NASCAR Xfinity Series race coverage from Texas will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET with Countdown to Green on NBCSN.

NBCSN will present the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES doubleheader from Iowa Speedway Friday and Saturday night, which coverage beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET on both nights.

NBC Sports’ motorsports coverage this weekend will also feature the first race of the 2020 MotoGP season with the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday on NBC at 3 p.m. ET; the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Sebring International Raceway on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN; and more than 20 hours of Mecum Auctions coverage from Indianapolis.

NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM TEXAS – SUNDAY AT 2 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Pre-race coverage on Sunday will begin at 2 p.m. ET with NASCAR America and Countdown to Green, leading up to the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN with post-race coverage following the checkered flag. NBC Sports’ NASCAR host Krista Voda, auto racing icon Kyle Petty, Hall of Fame driver and 1999 NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett and motorsports reporter Rutledge Wood will anchor pre-race and post-race coverage.

Kevin Harvick, who has won at Texas in each of the last three seasons, leads the regular season standings with 675 points and 4 wins, followed by Brad Keselowski (587 points, 2 wins), Ryan Blaney (580 points, 1 win), Chase Elliott (575 points, 1 win), and Joey Logano (564, 2 wins).

NBC Sports’ lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen, 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton, two-time Daytona 500 Champion and recent NASCAR Hall of Fame selection Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte will call this weekend’s NASCAR races from the broadcast booth at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. Marty Snider and Dave Burns will serve as pit reporters on-site at Texas.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM TEXAS – SATURDAY AT 2:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NASCAR Xfinity Series coverage will begin with Countdown to Green at 2:30 p.m. ET immediately following the conclusion of Mecum Auctions from Indianapolis, leading into the 16th race of the 2020 Xfinity Series season at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Entering this weekend, Chase Briscoe is atop the regular season standings with 643 points (series-best 5 wins), followed by Noah Gragson (624 points, 2 wins) and Austin Cindric (610 points, 2 wins).

Following is this weekend’s NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series coverage from Texas on NBCSN:

DATE COVERAGE TIME (ET) NETWORK
Sat., July 18 Countdown to Green 2:30 p.m. NBCSN
  NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Texas 3 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., July 19 NASCAR America 2 p.m. NBCSN
  Countdown to Green 2:30 p.m. NBCSN
  NASCAR Cup Series Race – Texas 3 p.m. NBCSN
  NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show 7 p.m. NBCSN

IOWA INDYCAR 250s – RACE 1 FRIDAY AT 8:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN; RACE 2 SATURDAY AT 8:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing, 173 pts) currently sits atop the points standings after winning last Saturday’s REV Group Grand Prix Race 1 at Road America for his third straight victory to begin the season. Dixon’s teammate, Felix Rosenqvist (Chip Ganassi Racing, 88 pts), earned his first career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory in last Sunday’s Race 2 at Road America. Reigning INDYCAR champion Josef Newgarden (Team Penske, 106 pts) took the checkered flag in last year’s event at Iowa Speedway.

Live coverage from Iowa Speedway begins Friday with a practice session at 2 p.m. ET exclusively on NBC Sports Gold’s INDYCAR Pass, followed by qualifying live at 5:30 p.m. ET. An encore presentation of qualifying will be presented on NBCSN at 7:30 p.m. ET, leading into pre-race coverage at 8:30 p.m. ET and race coverage at 9 p.m. ET. A 30-minute post-race program will immediately follow the race at 11 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Saturday’s live coverage begins with practice exclusively on INDYCAR Pass at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live race coverage of Iowa INDYCAR 250s Race 2 will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Coverage will conclude with a 30-minute INDYCAR Post-Race at 10:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Leigh Diffey will call both races at Iowa Speedway alongside analyst and former driver Paul Tracy, and current INDYCAR driver and NBC Sports driver analyst James Hinchcliffe. Hinchcliffe is a two-time winner at Iowa Speedway in 2013 and 2018. Kelli Stavast and Dillon Welch will report from the pits.

Live comprehensive coverage of practice and qualifying from Iowa Speedway will stream on NBC Sports Gold’s INDYCAR Pass. Race coverage on NBCSN streams on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

Following is this weekend’s INDYCAR coverage from Iowa Speedway on NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold:

DATE COVERAGE TIME (ET) NETWORK
Fri., July 17 Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Practice 1 2 p.m. NBC Sports Gold
Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Qualifying 1 5:30 p.m. NBC Sports Gold
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Qualifying 1* 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Pre-Race 8:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Race 1 9 p.m. NBCSN
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Post-Race 11 p.m. NBCSN
Sat., July 18 Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Practice 2 3:30 p.m. NBC Sports Gold
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Race 2 8:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Post-Race 10:30 p.m. NBCSN

*Same-day delay

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP FROM SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY – SATURDAY AT 5:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

All four classes of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be in action at the 3.74-mile Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway for the two-hour, 40-minute Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

Mazda (Daytona Prototypes international – DPi), Corvette (GT Le Mans) and AIM Vasser Sullivan-Lexus (GT Daytona) were all victorious in IMSA’s return to competition, the WeatherTech 240, on July 4 at Daytona International Speedway. The LMP2 prototype class did not compete in that race, but returns at Sebring to begin its season-long class championship.

Kevin Lee (play-by-play), former IMSA GT driver Calvin Fish (analyst), and motorsports veteran A.J. Allmendinger (analyst) will call the action Saturday. Brian Till and Parker Kligerman will provide reports from pit road at Sebring International Raceway.

MOTOGP SPANISH GRAND PRIX FROM CIRCUITO DE JEREZ – SUNDAY AT 3 P.M. ET ON NBC & 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBC Sports has announced that the first two races of the 2020 MotoGP season will now air on NBC, beginning with the Spanish Grand Prix from Circuito de Jerez this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

A total of four MotoGP races will air on NBC in 2020, including the Andalucia Grand Prix on Sunday, July 26, at 2:30 p.m. ET; the Teruel Grand Prix from Motorland Aragón on Sunday, October 25, at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the Comunitat Valencia Grand Prix from Circuit Ricardo Tormo on Sunday, November 15 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

This marks NBC Sports’ first season as the exclusive TV home of MotoGP in the United States. More information can be found here.

MORE THAN 20 HOURS OF MECUM AUCTIONS FROM INDIANAPOLIS CONTINUES TOMORROW AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBC Sports continues its coverage of Mecum Auctions’ Indianapolis auction – Dana Mecum’s 33rd Original Spring Classic – with over 20 hours of coverage from Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Ind., on NBCSN.

Tomorrow, beginning at 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN will present eight consecutive hours of coverage. Two hours of live coverage on Friday will begin at 12 p.m. ET on NBCSN and continue with 1.5 hours at 6 p.m. ET. Over ten hours, including a 2.5-hour window of live coverage, will be featured throughout Saturday and Sunday on NBCSN.

Scott Hoke will host coverage on-site in Indianapolis, alongside analysts John Kraman and Stephen Cox, and reporters Bill Stephens and Katie Osborne.

Following is NBCSN’s telecast schedule of Mecum Auctions coverage in Indianapolis:

DATE COVERAGE TIME (ET) NETWORK
Thurs., July 16 Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis* 7 p.m. NBCSN
Fri., July 17 Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis 12 p.m. NBCSN
  Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis* 6 p.m. NBCSN
Sat., July 18 Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis 12 p.m. NBCSN
  Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis* 11 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., July 19 Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis* 9 p.m. NBCSN

*Same-day delay

***

Below is a comprehensive schedule of this week’s motorsports coverage across NBC Sports:

DATE COVERAGE TIME (ET) NETWORK
Thurs., July 16 Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis* 7 p.m. NBCSN
Fri., July 17 Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis 12 p.m. NBCSN
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Practice 1 2 p.m. NBC Sports Gold
  IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – Sebring 2:30 p.m. TrackPass
  American Flat Track – Volusia Half-Mile 1 4:30 p.m. TrackPass
Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Qualifying 5:30 p.m. NBC Sports Gold
  Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis* 6 p.m. NBCSN
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Qualifying* 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Pre-Race 8:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Race 1 9 p.m. NBCSN
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Post-Race 11 p.m. NBCSN
Sat., July 18 IMSA Prototype Challenge – Sebring 11:50 a.m. TrackPass
  Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis 12 p.m. NBCSN
  Countdown to Green 2:30 p.m. NBCSN
  NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Texas 3 p.m. NBCSN
  American Flat Track – Volusia Half-Mile 1I 3 p.m. TrackPass
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Practice 2 3:30 p.m. NBC Sports Gold
  IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – Sebring 5:30 p.m. NBCSN
  NASCAR ARCA Menards Series – Iowa 5:30 p.m. TrackPass
  NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 7 p.m. TrackPass
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Race 2 8:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Iowa INDYCAR 250s – Post-Race 10:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis* 11 p.m. NBCSN
Sun., July 19 NASCAR America 2 p.m. NBCSN
  Countdown to Green 2:30 p.m. NBCSN
  NASCAR Cup Series Race – Texas 3 p.m. NBCSN
  MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix 3 p.m. NBC
  NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show 7 p.m. NBCSN
  MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix* 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
  Mecum Auctions – Indianapolis* 9 p.m. NBCSN

*Same-day delay

–NBC SPORTS–