When NBC launched Peacock last summer, it began to roll live sports content into the platform, starting with the Premier League. Prior to the start of the 2020-21 Premier League season, NBC announced that all of the content that used to be available on the NBC Sports Gold Premier League Pass would now be available on Peacock. At the time, it seemed inevitable that many of the other Gold, sport-specific pass services would also be rolled into Peacock.
Sure enough, that’s what we’re starting to see. On Monday, NBC announced, prior to the start of the 2021 IndyCar season, that non-race IndyCar content would be moved from the Gold IndyCar Pass to Peacock.
Of note: no live races will be on Peacock, with all this season airing on either NBC or NBCSN. Here’s a blurb from NBC’s release.
Peacock Premium will provide fans in the U.S. with live coverage of 2021 INDYCAR qualifying and practice sessions as well as coverage surrounding the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500, Indy Lights races, race-day warmups and full-event replays of INDYCAR races in 2021. Peacock Premium will surround the 105th Indianapolis 500 with exclusive practice and qualifying coverage as well as ancillary content.
“Peacock Premium will offer NTT INDYCAR SERIES fans in-demand track action at tremendous value,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles. “Alongside NBC Sports, we’re providing comprehensive coverage of practice and qualifications throughout our season, while also connecting to a larger platform with a world-class roster of programming.”
INDYCAR on Peacock Premium will also feature INDYCAR archival and library content, and other motorsports shoulder programming.
As previously announced, all 2021 INDYCAR races, along with select additional Race Weekend sessions, will be broadcast on either NBC or NBCSN.
This is far from a surprise, and makes all the sense in the world when the launch of Peacock and the expected shutdown of NBCSN are considered. IndyCar’s deal with NBC only runs through the end of 2021, and if the two sides agree to a deal past this year, Peacock-exclusive content is going to be a significant part of that agreement. Converting those IndyCar Pass subscribers into Peacock subscribers could have longer term benefits for NBC when you consider the additional content included with Peacock (both sports and non-sports) compared to the IndyCar Pass alone. It’s at least conceivable that some of those subscribers could stick around past the end of this season if IndyCar gets a TV deal with a different company, whereas that relationship would completely be over if those fans were only paying for the IndyCar Pass content and nothing else.
