LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Mavis Tire Toyota, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VISITPA.com at Pocono Raceway on July 14, 2024 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LONG POND, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Mavis Tire Toyota, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series The Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VISITPA.com at Pocono Raceway on July 14, 2024 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Uncertain future for next Netflix documentary

NASCAR Holdings has agreed to another Netflix documentary, but exact plans remain unclear with the start of the playoffs just over a month away and as teams try to get a new charter agreement first, sources say.

Costing over $5M, NASCAR last year fully funded the first “NASCAR: Full Speed” documentary that aired on Netflix. The documentary focused on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, with some lifestyle scenes as well.

President Steve Phelps has said another season was likely, and senior NASCAR executives have indeed given their blessing to doing so, according to sources familiar with the matter. But teams remain embroiled in negotiations over a new governing agreement, and some have considered whether to decline to participate in a playoffs-focused show if a new deal isn’t done by that time, sources say. The playoffs begin Sept. 8 at Atlanta.

While some teams have considered not participating in a documentary if a deal isn’t done by the playoffs, others disputed that they would hold out, and it’s possible the sides could still find a resolution before the playoffs begin to allow for the docu-series to happen.

Sports Business Journal