In a media release issued today, the Canadian cable sports channel TSN announced that it had signed a three-year deal, starting in 2004, to broadcast 16 NASCAR Nextel Cup races each year. The sixteen races to be broadcast by TSN in 2004 include every Nextel Cup race which will be shown on the cable services FX or TNT in the United States. TSN will also broadcast three races available on the US through-the-air networks NBC and FOX: the Daytona 500 in February, the Pepsi 400 from Daytona in July and the UAW-GM Quality 500 from Lowes Motor Speedway in October. Earlier, Craig Media had announced a deal which will see them providing all the remaining 11 Nextel Cup races being broadcast by NBC to the Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton markets. Hence Canadian race fans will be able to see EVERY one of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup races (including the three non-points events) on Canadian cable or satellite services via FOX, NBC (or Craig Media) or TSN. The SPEED Channel, which is available on all Canadian cable or satellite services, will again broadcast the entire schedule of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races in 2004. However, the picture is cloudy for the NASCAR Busch Series broadcasts. Only eight of the 34 Busch Series races will be broadcast on US network channels (FOX and NBC). Last year many of the other FX or TNT Busch Series races were broadcast in Canada by CTV SportsNet and The Score. To date neither of the Canadian cable services has made any announcement concerning their plans for NASCAR race broadcasts in 2004.( Race Fan TV )(11-25-2003)
