Sources: NHRA Races To Air On FS1, Ending 14-Year ESPN Tie-In

By John Ourand & Adam Stern

Published July 13, 2015 Font Size Resize Small Resize Normal Resize Large | Print | Share |
FS1 will carry NHRA races next season, ending a 14-year relationship between the drag racing circuit and ESPN, according to several sources. Fox Sports and the NHRA have agreed on deal terms, but a formal contract still has not been signed, sources said. An official announcement is expected later this week. Financial details of the new deal cannot be confirmed.

As recently as last week, NHRA officials had been negotiating to leave the current five-year ESPN deal a year early, as the drag racing series was upset with ESPN’s decision to carry most races on tape delay and in unattractive timeslots. Its ESPN deal originally was scheduled to end in '16, and ESPN was charging the NHRA an undisclosed break-up fee to get out of the deal early.

Uh oh...

because ESPN2 sucks so bad, I don't watch anymore...

I watch every race but you have to remember I grew up watching one or two races a year 4 weeks after the race was over on Wide World Of Sports.

I am glad they are getting a better deal, but I haven't watched an NHRA race in years on the TV. It's just a major snooze fest to me. They add Pro-Mod.....I MIGHT watch it

Same here, I DVR them, fast forward through the force circus and watch the Pro Stockers.

I used to to the same thing with Kenny Bernstein. My time is too valuable to watch either of those pitchmen. May as well watch an Oxyclean infomercial.

It does help with my sleep apnea.

NHRA on ESPN is more effective than sleeping pills.

That's what NASCAR does to me. I actually like watching the NHRA.

I can't watch either NASCAR or NHRA on TV - too much yakking about stuff that has nothing to do with the racing.

NASCAR works even faster when I really need to get to sleep.

If the NHRA telecast filled more of it's 3 hours with tech stuff as opposed to fluff, it would be far more watchable. After all.....the vast majority of viewers are "car" people.

And therein lies the problem, there are not enough "car people" to make the show worth airing. It HAS to appeal to an average guy who might be flipping channels. You want to rely strictly on "car guys" to get you ratings.....don't bother. You think the millions who watch NASCAR are "car guys"........hell no. It has to be entertaining to get casual viewers. You think the "fluff is a waste of time, but if it was nothing but cars going down the track, nobody will watch it.

Street Outlaws is a prime example. Like it or hate it, doesn't matter, the FACT is that it was the number one rated show on cable TV on Monday night a couple weeks ago. The show is watchable even for the average person, because of some of the "fluff" and has enough racing to keep "car guys" watching. Expect Fox to do something similar. If you think the show should just be pair after pair lining up and going down the track, you are going to be sorely disappointed

Monte

I agree on the point that ESPN has a real tendency to screw NHRA races over, for college softball, or something else we may not care about, so hopefully Fox Sports will be a better deal, but like I said, when all of the Street Outlaws shows were getting bashed, don't watch it, if you don't want to. I may lead a boring life, but heck I even watch Indy Car racing, just because racing of some sort, is better than no racing, or no car shows.
I agree some of the shows could be done better than they are, but I still think they're better than nothing. As Jack said, I remember when you used to have to wait weeks to see any kind of racing on TV, at least now we have choices sometimes.
Just my opinion, and not a bash to anybody else.
Dan

Exactly, Monte.

To get viewers, it needs to be a "show". Look at the stands any more at national events( Joliet a great example) nobody there.
You have to sell the sizzle.

I wish they would show Pro Mod. Maybe dump the bikes to make room.
What would be really cool is if NHRA dumped some of the Sportsman classes and added in Outlaw 10.5 and D/R or x275.

I myself like ALL kinds of racing... from drag racing
to snow mobiles and everything in between.. I just like
competition... but I like things to be on a equal basis
unlike some of the drag racing where 1 lane works and the
other is the looser.. I sure hope that Fox doesnt put some
stupid ass ping pong ahead of racing...
EDIT
Some good pro mod racing would be FAR better than the John Force
and his circus show... that gets so old even if they loose and
instead of interviewing the winner they would rather go with John
or Courtney

Complaint:

1) ESPN shows not live. Nothing like sittin' around watching a show filler while they cleanup an oil down.

2) ESPN shows air at inconvenient times. Ever hear of a DVR? This is the 21st century.

3) Earlier shows run over and cut into the drags. Again, a DVR and you can zap the mind-numbing commercials.

I really doubt if any other network will expend the resources to provide the coverage that ESPN does.