Streaming services are really, really convenient and cool.
They drain my bank account every month, and I happily let them just so that I can stay up to date on the few new shows I like, go back and watch old re-runs of “Seinfeld” and, until recently (thanks MotorTrend) original “Top Gear” episodes.
Streaming services have been the answer to a lot of things as far as entertainment goes, but it’s most certainly not the answer for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
On May 19, John Ourand of SportsBusinessJournal.com published an article detailing NASCAR’s potential plan to move the Xfinity Series to exclusively streaming platforms starting in 2025.
If you want to read the full article, I encourage you to do so, because it provides excellent information on exactly why and what NASCAR could do with Xfinity and why they would want to head in this direction, but I’m not here for that.
I’m here to tell you why this is the worst idea that NASCAR might have ever had as far as Xfinity goes (kind of).
We always talk about the “image problem” that NASCAR has when it comes to the Xfinity Series, and yet again, this just shows that it’s of their own doing. They’re trying to put the series in the corner again instead of putting their best foot forward as far as racing goes, and giving the series some spotlight.
Think for a moment about the image this would be sending to the new fans of the sport. NASCAR has this really big ordeal every Sunday. The cars look really futuristic and super cool. The numbers are placed all over the car in weird spots, and some are even shiny, but the racing is god awful.
Meanwhile, only over on *insert random streaming service here* some of the best actual racing in motorsports would be taking place, but they have to pay extra to see it. They’re not even sold on the sport as a whole yet, but NASCAR is already requiring more money for fans to see what they have to offer in other series.
It’s the same argument people are making against the Chicago street race prices — NASCAR is trying to be something it’s not. It’s not trying to be the common man’s motorsport, when in reality, that’s when NASCAR is at its best. NASCAR is not Formula 1 for good reason. Formula 1 is amazing, but if you’ve ever been to an F1 race, you know that it’s a different crowd than what you’ll see on Sundays on the NASCAR circuit, and that’s OK. It’s what makes racing such a great sport.
Everyone deserves a form of motorsport to enjoy, but NASCAR is for the people like you and me, not just the high rollers with yachts in Monaco.
Now, I’m not the person that will sit here and complain without offering a solution, so here goes nothing.
If you’re going to move the Xfinity Series to a streaming platform, don’t make it exclusively streaming. Yes, NASCAR has already said that their deal with Fox and NBC will not be renewed, but there are still plenty of television networks that have their own streaming services as well.
Take HBO for instance.
If a company like HBO came along with the right sized check, I think NASCAR would benefit greatly from them having Xfinity races both on their streaming platform and their cable channel simultaneously. That gives as many eyes the chance to be on the series as possible within the confines of one company. It makes it the common man’s motorsport. It makes it NASCAR, and for the love of God, that’s all anyone really wants.
Tanner Marlar is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated’s OnSI Network, a contributor for TopSpeed.com, an AP Wire reporter, an award-winning sports columnist and talk show host and master's student at Mississippi State University. Soon, Tanner will be pursuing a PhD. in Mass Media Studies. Tanner began working with Frontstretch as an Xfinity Series columnist in 2022.