NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell made waves after discussing a litany of topics at Tuesday’s Front Office Sports “Tuned In” media day. Among the things the sport’s chief executive discussed was a possible move to CBS for a slate of NASCAR races in the future.
O’Donnell said he plans to meet with CBS Sports president and CEO David Berson, who also manages TNT Sports under the CBS umbrella, about the possibility of moving the current five-race NASCAR Cup stretch broadcasted on TNT to CBS.
Based on history with TNT, O’Donnell expressed optimism in a deal getting done.
O’Donnell on NASCAR Moving Back to CBS: ‘Who Knows?’
During Front Office Sports “Tuned In” media day, O’Donnell pondered the idea that CBS could return as a station that broadcasts NASCAR races. CBS was formerly a flagship station for NASCAR racing until 2000.
NASCAR is currently in its second year of a seven-year agreement with TNT Sports to broadcast five Cup Series races. The partnership is intertwined with Prime Video, which broadcasts five Cup Series races prior to the TNT slate.
While O’Donnell is pleased with the current deal they have with TNT, he plans to meet with Berson to have talks about NASCAR returning to CBS in the future.
“CBS used to be a great partner of ours, Turner has been fantastic, so who knows? I think it’s an opportunity for us, especially as you look forward, to keep everybody close, but we’re very happy with the folks we currently have for sure,” O’Donnell said via Sports Media Watch.
While O’Donnell threw out the possibility of NASCAR returning to CBS, no timetable on when the CEO would like to make that happen was given.
NASCAR’s Current TV Landscape Explained
The NASCAR Cup Series season can best be divided up into three separate TV broadcast stints. For the first third of the year, FOX Sports is the exclusive home to the Cup Series.
With longtime play-by-play announcer Mike Joy alongside color commentators, former NASCAR drivers Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick, Cup races bounce around between FOX and FS1 to start the season.
Then, Prime Video and TNT Sports take over for a 10-race stretch. With play-by-play announcer Adam Alexander alongside retired crew chief Steve Letarte and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. as color commentators, Prime streams five races beginning with the Coca-Cola 600.
TNT Sports takes over with largely the same announce team as Prime, with a few changes in the pit crew media team. Finally, USA Network and NBC take over for the remainder of the season with play-by-play announcer Leigh Diffey and color commentators Letarte and retired NASCAR driver Jeff Burton.
The CW is the exclusive home to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, while FS1 brings fans all the Craftsman Truck Series races.