NASCAR on CBS

NASCAR on CBS was the branding formerly used for broadcasts of

The very first NASCAR races to ever be shown on television were broadcast by CBS. In February 1960, the network sent a "skeleton" production crew to Daytona Beach, Florida and the Daytona International Speedway to cover the Daytona 500's Twin 100 (now the Bluegreen Vacations Duel) qualifying races on February 12, 1960.^[13] The production crew also stayed to broadcast portions of the Daytona 500 itself, two days later. The event was hosted by John S. Palmer. CBS would continue to broadcast portions of races for the next 18 years, along with ABC and NBC.^[14]

1979 Daytona 500: The breakthrough

CBS Sports president

On

Earnhardt would eventually win the race in 1998 (under caution), with commentator Mike Joy describing Earnhardt's victory as the "most anticipated moment in the history of motor racing" after his "20 years of trying, 20 years of frustration" of failing to win the race.

1992 Busch Clash and Daytona 500

For

In 1998, a CBS-televised race at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado, scheduled for 186 laps ran 12 extra laps (totaling 198) because of multiple attempts at a successful green-white-checkered finish.

1999 Daytona 500

20 years after its Daytona 500 broadcast, CBS used at least 200 people and more than 80 cameras for their coverage:^[20]

• 33 in-car cameras - three cameras in 11 different cars.
• 10 "pole" cameras above the pits.
• 35 cameras around the track.
• A camera in a blimp.
• A camera with each of the three pit reporters.
• A camera in the booth.

CBS also planned to use more computerized graphics and a super slow-motion camera with a long lens.

Affiliation with The Nashville Network (TNN)

In 1995, the motorsports operations were moved to Concord, North Carolina into the industrial park located at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where TNN had purchased controlling interest in motorsports production company World Sports Enterprises. Among TNN personalities from the motorsports operation were Mike Joy, Eli Gold, Buddy Baker, Neil Bonnett, Randy Pemberton, Ralph Sheheen, Dick Berggren and Rick Benjamin.

Most of the original entertainment-oriented programming ceased production, and the network began to rely more on TNN Outdoors and TNN Motor Sports for programming. The network's ties to CBS allowed it to pick up country-themed dramas from the 1980s that originally aired on the broadcast network such as The Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas, neither of which had been seen on television since their original runs ended, and also allowed it to serve as an overflow feed for CBS Sports broadcasts, which happened during a NASCAR Busch Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in 1999 (though the network was a center of controversy by not airing the following year's second-tier race at Texas following a rain delay)^[23] and also during a PGA Tour event at Firestone Country Club. The 1998 Pepsi 400 was also moved to TNN when the race was postponed from the then-traditional July date to October 17, 1998, as a result of the 1998 Florida wildfires.

The end of NASCAR on CBS (2000)

NASCAR wanted to capitalize on its increased popularity at the start of the 21st century, so the organization decided that future television deals would be centralized; that is, the networks would negotiate directly with NASCAR for a regular schedule of telecasts. That deal was struck on December 15, 1999.

With many tracks now falling under the ownership of either the France-family led International Speedway Corporation or the Bruton Smith led Speedway Motorsports, it was much easier for consolidated television packages to be negotiated. NASCAR wanted to increase the number of races by each partner, and have as many races on broadcast networks as possible, to prevent fans from missing races.

The first consolidated TV deal was struck on December 15, 1999.^[25]

Under the new deal,,

• Fox and FX would televise the first 16 races of the 2001, 2003 and 2005 seasons and races 2 through 17 of the 2002, 2004 and 2006 seasons. Fox would air the Daytona 500 in the odd-numbered years. All Busch Series races during that part of the season would also be on Fox/FX.
• NBC and TNT would televise the final 17 races of the even-numbered years as well as the Daytona 500 and the last 18 races of the odd-numbered years, as well as all Busch Series races held in that time of the year.

CBS also had broadcasting rights to

In June 2021, CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus reiterated that viewers shouldn't expect^[28] for the network to bid on any NASCAR broadcasting rights in the foreseeable future, due to in large part to its heavy commitment to golf.

Ratings

The television

Races

Cup

Former commentators

• Buddy Baker – color commentator (1996–2000)^[32]
• Dick Berggren – pit reporter (1994–2000)^[33]
• Neil Bonnett – color commentator (1990–1993)
• Dave Despain – pit reporter (1987–1991)
• Chris Economaki – color commentator/pit reporter (1984–1994)
• Eli Gold^[34] – lap-by-lap commentator
• Jerry Glanville – analyst
• Greg Gumbel^[35] – anchor (1999 Daytona 500 and Pepsi 400 only) (1999)
• David Hobbs – color commentator/pit reporter (1979-1996)^[15]
• Ned Jarrett^[36] – pit reporter (1979-1984) / color commentator (1984-2000)
• Mike Joy – pit reporter (1983–1997) / lap-by-lap commentator (1997–2000) (Now with Fox Sports) ^[37][38]
• Randy Pemberton – pit reporter (covered pit road for the 1992 DieHard 500 at Talladega)
• Richard Petty – color commentator (1994-1995)^[15]
• Ralph Sheheen^[39] – pit reporter (1997-2000)
• Bill Stephens^[40] – pit reporter (1997-2000)
• DieHard 500
  at Talladega. (1997–2000)
• NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races, 1995 & 1997 Busch Clash's, and 1999 Bud Shootout only) (now with Fox Sports
  )
• Brock Yates – pit reporter (1979-1982)

Notes

References