Drag Racing Organization Secures Broadcasting Partnership With Three Major Media Companies
The NHRA has signed multi-year media rights agreements with FOX Sports, The CW Network, and FloSports beginning in 2027, establishing coverage across more than 125 million households. FOX Sports will broadcast the season's opening 13 races across broadcast and cable channels, while The CW will exclusively carry the final seven races including the U.S. Nationals and playoff series. FloSports will provide live streaming of qualifying and eliminations, complementing the broadcast partners' offerings with additional digital access.
The NHRA's broadcasting agreement represents a strategic distribution across multiple platforms designed to maximize audience reach. FOX Sports handles the season's opening portion, showcasing early-season competition across traditional broadcast and cable infrastructure. The CW Network takes over for the championship stretch, including marquee events like the U.S. Nationals and playoff racing, while FloSports supplies digital streaming of qualifying rounds and eliminations to supplement traditional broadcast coverage.
This arrangement caps a period of stated growth for the organization, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2026. The multi-network approach aims to address both established viewers accustomed to traditional television and younger audiences increasingly consuming sports through digital platforms and streaming services, potentially expanding the sport's total addressable market.
The deal could affect multiple stakeholder groups including broadcast networks competing for sports content rights, NHRA teams and sponsors seeking increased visibility, and viewers across different demographic segments and technology preferences. Traditional cable and broadcast audiences benefit from established scheduling, while digital consumers may gain convenient access through streaming. The distribution strategy could influence how other motorsports organizations negotiate future media contracts, and may signal broader industry movement toward multi-platform arrangements that fragment rights across several distribution partners rather than exclusive single-partner deals.