Rights to the Nationwide Series could be in play this summer when NASCAR opens its negotiations with ESPN, according to several sources. ESPN and NASCAR have not begun formal talks about renewing a media rights package that includes the Nationwide Series entire 33-race season and 17 Sprint Cup races. But ESPN has had internal conversations about bidding only on the Nationwide races that overlap with its Sprint Cup schedule instead of the entire season. The reason has more to do with production expenses than ratings points. From August to November, when it airs both Nationwide and Sprint Cup races, ESPN is able to use the same production crew, production trucks and other resources to cover both Nationwide Series races and Sprint Cup races on the same weekend. Its much costlier for ESPN to produce the Nationwide Series first 16 races during the first half of the NASCAR season, when Fox and Turner hold the rights to the Sprint Cup races held at the same tracks on those weekends. ESPN has had rights to the Nationwide Series since 2007 and put considerable promotional and programming resources behind it. The secondary circuit aired on Fox and NBC from 2001 to 2006. ESPN declined to comment. Formal renewal talks are scheduled to begin later this summer, and its executives have not spoken to NASCAR about the Nationwide Series. Any move by ESPN to bid only on the second half of the Nationwide Series would allow NASCAR to experiment with new ways of selling its secondary series and offer it great flexibility. The sanctioning body could decide to split the Nationwide package between its Sprint Cup rights holders. That would allow Fox to buy the first half of the season and ESPN, or another broadcaster, to take the second half. Such a move would give both broadcasters the type of cost efficiencies ESPN wants, both in production and advertising sales. Fox has expressed interest in obtaining the rights to the first part of the Nationwide Series but has not had any formal talks with the sanctioning body. NASCAR also could decide to test the market and create a separate package for the entire Nationwide Series that it would sell independently of the Sprint Cup Series.( Sports Business Journal )
