Starting with the introduction of NASCAR's new seven-year, $7.7 billion media rights deal ahead of the 2025 season, the Cup Series broadcast schedule is now split up into four portions, after having been split up into two, one for Fox and one for NBC, each year from 2015 to 2024.
As a part of the new deal, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports were both added for five races each in the middle of the season. Fox's season-opening portion dropped from 18 races (16 points races) to 14 (12), while NBC's season-ending portion dropped from 20 to 14. Fox's races are split between Fox and Fox Sports 1, while NBC's are split between NBC and USA Network.
After Versant, the parent company of USA Sports, split from Comcast and NBC in late 2025, NBC Sports' portion of the calendar is now considered USA Sports' portion, as USA Sports is aiming to establish its brand as its own entity. But the races are still split between NBC and USA.
USA Sports' portion of the calendar got underway at Iowa Speedway in early August, and the first three races after the switch from TNT, also including the races at Richmond Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway, were shown live on USA.
No more network changes for NASCAR Cup Series until October
But the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway was shown live on NBC, and then things shifted back to USA for the opening race of the "Chase" postseason at Darlington Raceway this past weekend.
This weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, coverage is set to remain on USA, marking the first time in three weeks without a change from one race to the next.
Sunday's Enjoy Illinois 300 at the four-turn, 1.25-mile (2.012-kilometer) Madison, Illinois oval is the second of seven consecutive races to begin the playoffs on USA, a stretch that is also set to include the upcoming events at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway.
NBC isn't scheduled to air another race until late October at Talladega Superspeedway. NBC is set to wrap up the year with three straight races at Talladega, Martinsville Speedway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Whether a race is shown live on NBC or USA, however, the trio in the broadcast booth remains the same, with Leigh Diffey calling the action alongside commentators Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton.
Tune in to USA Network this Sunday, September 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET for the live broadcast of the Enjoy Illinois 300 from World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and don't miss the second race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs!
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