NASCAR AND COMCAST REACH 10-YEAR SERIES
ENTITLEMENT AGREEMENT; MATCHES LONGEST SINGLE SERIES TITLE SPONSORSHIP PACT
IN THE SPORT’S HISTORY
Comcast’s XFINITY Brand to Become
Only Third Title Sponsor of the Series ‘Where
Names Are Made’
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
and PHILADELPHIA (SEPTEMBER 3, 2014) — NASCAR and Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) announced today a historic agreement that will make Comcast’s
XFINITY brand the title sponsor of what is now known as the NASCAR Nationwide
Series through 2024. The 10-year term matches the longest single agreement
around title sponsorship of any NASCAR national series in history, and is the
longest entitlement sponsorship agreement in this series’ history.
Beginning January
1, 2015, the property will be known as the NASCAR XFINITY Series. XFINITY will
become only the third title sponsor in series history following Anheuser-Busch
(26 years) and Nationwide Insurance (seven years). The agreement also makes
XFINITY an Official NASCAR Partner in the multichannel video programming
distributor (MVPD) and broadband ISP categories.
The announcement
was made during an event at the NASCAR Hall of Fame – where the sport’s history
is celebrated every day – and was the first series entitlement sponsorship ever
announced at the venue.
XFINITY is Comcast’s residential service brand and
is the nation’s largest video and high-speed Internet provider. The company has
increased Internet speeds for existing customers 13 times in 12
years and recently introduced XFINITY on the X1 Entertainment
Operating System. The company also offers XFINITY On Demand, the most robust
video on demand platform in the world. Comcast serves business and residential
customers in 39 states and Washington, D.C.
“We’re proud to welcome XFINITY to the NASCAR community as title sponsor
of the NASCAR XFINITY Series for the next decade,” said Brian France, NASCAR
Chairman & CEO. “NASCAR and XFINITY are each leader brands with much in
common. Both are focused on innovation and have products built for speed. Together,
we will work to take this series to new heights and elevate one of the most
unique and powerful partnerships in all of sports.”
What will soon be known as the NASCAR XFINITY Series is the property
where names are made and is like nothing else in major pro sports. It features
the most talented young drivers regularly competing side-by-side against
NASCAR’s biggest and brightest stars.
“Technology lives
at the heart of NASCAR, just as it does for XFINITY,” said Dave Watson,
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Comcast Cable. “NASCAR
provides an exciting environment in which to showcase our video and Internet
products and we look forward to further enhancing the fan experience at home,
at the track and on the go for years to come.”
The series also has a large, highly engaged and technology-connected
television audience. It races in
some of the nation’s largest markets – from Chicago to Los Angeles to Miami –
and at the sport’s biggest and most iconic tracks – from Daytona International
Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, to Talladega
Superspeedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
According to NASCAR
Fan Engagement Tracker 2013 (commissioned by NASCAR and conducted by Toluna),
NASCAR fans spend an average of four-and-a-half hours each week watching NASCAR
on television and an additional two-and-a-half-hours each week following the
sport on digital platforms.
XFINITY
is among the premier sponsors in sports today and a robust sponsorship
activation program is part of the new agreement with NASCAR, with aggressive
planning already underway.
Comcast’s
involvement with NASCAR is expanding rapidly. In addition to the NASCAR XFINITY
Series announced today, Comcast’s NBC Sports unit will begin broadcasting
NASCAR race events in July 2015.
After a successful
seven-year run as series entitlement sponsor, Nationwide Insurance pivoted its
marketing programs to become a NASCAR team sponsor next season. Nationwide
also is the official auto, home, life and business insurance partner of NASCAR.
The NASCAR
Nationwide Series will make its return to Richmond International Raceway for
the Virginia529 College Savings 250 on September 5, and will be aired on ESPN2.
The first race of the 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series season, and of the new partnership,
will be during Daytona Speedweeks on February 21, 2015, at the famed Daytona
International Speedway.
About NASCAR
The National
Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body
for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of
three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series,
and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, one local
grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor
Sports Association (IMSA) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the
premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in
eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in
more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit
www.NASCAR.com and follow NASCAR
at www.Facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter:
@NASCAR.
About Comcast Cable
Comcast Cable is
the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to
residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services
to businesses. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced
network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers
personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast
Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit
www.comcastcorporation.com for more
information.
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Great Scoop Ashley, first I've heard of this!
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