IndyCar: Only two remain in race for future TV contract

SONOMA, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Will Power, driver of the #12 Verizon Chevrolet, leads Zachary Claman DeMelo, driver of the #13 Paysafe Honda, during the Verizon IndyCar Series GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway on September 17, 2017 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images)
SONOMA, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Will Power, driver of the #12 Verizon Chevrolet, leads Zachary Claman DeMelo, driver of the #13 Paysafe Honda, during the Verizon IndyCar Series GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma at Sonoma Raceway on September 17, 2017 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images) /
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In an update before the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, IndyCar CEO Mark Miles confirms only two networks remain in the race for broadcast rights.

IndyCar is entering a transitional year in 2018, with a new car, new teams, and new prospects on the horizon. The series enters its final year with Verizon as its title sponsor, while broadcast partners ABC and NBCSN will see their television contracts come to an end as well. Much of the focus of series CEO Mark Miles in the past few months has been on a new TV contract, one that is becoming clearer by the week.

Ahead of the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Miles confirmed to multiple news agencies that the race for IndyCar’s future TV contract is down to two players. The two incumbents, ESPN / ABC and NBC Sports, are each bidding for sole rights to the IndyCar Series. And with that, there is likely to be an expansion of races seen on broadcast television.

Miles had this to say about the television contract negotiations to IndyStar:

"We’re quite close to choosing between the two sort of finalists, partners. We’re trying to negotiate the rest of the relevant details with just one. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the other one couldn’t come back in. But we think at this point, the way to close this is to know enough to work with one right now and try to get to a term sheet that outlines all the key points and then we’ll have one more chance to see if that’s going to be the end of the game.I think there will be a broadcast package, by which I mean free to air. So if it were ESPN that would mean ABC and if were NBCSN that would mean NBC. I think we will get to the place where we get half or more than half of races on broadcast. Then there will be a cable package, meaning the events that are on cable, and then there will an over-the-top or direct-to-consumer offering."

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Earlier in the offseason, it would appear that NBC Sports had the upper hand on ESPN and ABC in the contract negotiations. Their commitment to auto racing was strong, and ESPN had just laid off half of their IndyCar broadcast team. However, with their recent acquisition of Formula One rights and re-signing Allen Bestwick and Dr. Jerry Punch for 2018, the alphabet network appears ready to fight for IndyCar rights, especially in order to bolder the new ESPN+ over-the-top offering.

Next: Could Kyle Larson still drive the Memorial Day double in 2018?

Where would you like to see IndyCar races shown on television in 2019? Would the series be better served partnering with NBC Sports or ESPN and ABC?