NBC decision screws NASCAR fans before Indianapolis race
By Asher Fair
Preseason NFL football is being prioritized by several local NBC affiliates, leaving NASCAR fans seeking alternative options to watch today’s race.
Sunday afternoon’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard NASCAR Cup Series race is scheduled to take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.
This 82-lap race around the 13-turn, 2.439-kilometer (3.935-kilometer) Speedway, Indiana road course is set to be the first Cup Series race since the inaugural street course race on the streets of Chicago in early July that is shown live on NBC instead of the NBCUniversal-owned alternative USA Network.
However, it won’t be on NBC for everybody.
Preseason NFL football has been prioritized over NASCAR by a number of local NBC affiliates.
The only two NFL matchups on Sunday afternoon feature the Kansas City Chiefs against the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers against the Las Vegas Raiders. The former kicked off at 1:00 p.m. ET, and the latter is set to kick off at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Both are set to be shown live on NFL Network. The first is being shown live on local NBC affiliates in Tulsa, Jackson, Lake Charles, Memphis, and Kansas City, and the second is set to be shown live on NBC in Santa Barbara.
Here is the list of cities that won’t get the race on their nbc affiliate because of preseason NFL telecasts. Race is streamed on nbc sports app (not peacock). For Kansas City, it is on KMCI https://t.co/xHTOdMjLes pic.twitter.com/kH0UtWg0Hg
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 13, 2023
While NFL remains king, NBC is opting to prioritize exhibition games between second and third stringers as the Cup Series playoff push heats up, which has understandably left many fans frustrated.
Fortunately, the race is still set to be streamed live on the NBC Sports app, and it is still accessible on Peacock for those who have purchased a subscription to Peacock Premium or Peacock Premium Plus.
DraftKings Sportsbook, which is offering fans an instant $150 for betting $5, lists 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick as the +330 favorite to win Sunday’s race.
Odds and availability are subject to change, so lock in your $150 now!
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NBC’s live coverage of this afternoon’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard is set to begin from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course at 2:30 p.m. ET. Those who have not yet begun a free trial of FuboTV can do so now!