Denny Hamlin takes issue with 'confusing' NASCAR broadcasting decisions

Denny Hamlin wants NASCAR to be more consistent when it comes to how and when it airs its races. On the Actions Detrimental podcast, the 43-year-old NASCAR driver talked about how teams and NASCAR don’t align on broadcasting decisions.

“NASCAR is wanting to get whatever dollar, every penny of media that they possibly can because that’s money that goes in their pockets. For us as teams, which is what we’ve been saying for years and years and years, we’re so sponsorship-based,” Hamlin said. “When you take us and put us on all these other networks and all these other start times, I hate to say it’s confusing. …I like to come back to watch, and I’m trying to figure out what time and where.

“…You’re going to have your avid fans that are going to… They’ll figure it out, but that number is just not as big as it needs to be. I just feel like our interests aren’t aligned. …We wish every race was on Fox or NBC, the big network. That’s what they do with IndyCar. They just said alright, we’re going to take way less money since the teams are dependent on sponsorship. This is going to be good for the teams and it’ll be good for the sport because it’ll grow our sport. We’re going to be on a big network and IndyCar is going to grow because more eyeballs are going to see us and we’re going to get more money on our next TV deal.

Denny Hamlin wants more consistency in start times for NASCAR races

“Instead, we have taken the approach of we’ve bounced around. When FS1 started, NASCAR: ‘We’ll help you start that.’ NBC, whey they had their NBC Sports, it’s like, ‘Oh we’ll help you start that.’ Those companies are willing to pay a lot of money for your rights because they don’t have much of an audience.”

In November, NASCAR announced a massive TV deal with Fox, NBC, Warner Bros. Discovery and Amazon. The addition of Warner Bros. Discovery and Amazon will expand NASCAR’s coverage, something that Hamlin understands.

“I think that Amazon is going to be a great partner. Turner (Warner Bros. Discovery) is going to be good for us because they’ve got such a reach with their Bleacher Report and whatnot,” Hamlin said. “But it’s more of the bigger thing of just getting us a more common starting time, I think that’s a good thing. I think if it becomes more common, you get more races in on the day of the event, and I think that it just becomes a little easier for your fans to know when you’re on TV.