Walt Disney Co. recently made a major deal to purchase 21st Century Fox's TV and movie production for a whopping $52.4 billion, and the trickle down effect could have a big impact on the network's NASCAR coverage.
FOX broadcasts the first half of the NASCAR season, but the network's role could change now since it's a part of Disney. The "new FOX" won't have a studio for scripted shows, so it will rely on live sports, news and reality TV.
Stephen Battaglio of the Los Angeles Times reported that the sports FOX has the rights to will likely see more primetime exposure.
"Many of the events Fox has the rights for on Fox Sports 1, such as Major League Baseball, college football, World Cup soccer and NASCAR, are likely to get more prime-time exposure on the broadcast network," Battaglio wrote.
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FOX has a deal with NASCAR through 2024, so fans can expect to see more prime time races throughout the remainder of the contract.
However, the future of NASCAR's partnership with FOX could be in jeopardy under Disney. If ratings continue to decline, FOX could pass on signing NASCAR to another TV deal.
It's possible Google or Amazon could start broadcasting NASCAR races and live sporting events in the near future, so that could be a new avenue for NASCAR.
FOX will look different in the coming years, but in the short term, fans can likely expect to see more races in primetime.
(h/t ESPN)