The drive to survive the streaming service sports content wars extends beyond F1 for Netflix.
NASCAR is in “advanced discussions” with Netflix to create a docu-series around the 2023 season’s playoff race, according to Adam Stern at Sports Business Journal.
SBJ previously reported that NASCAR was planning to hold off on doing a 2023 docuseries a year after they produced Race For The Championship, which aired on USA Network and Peacock. That series included ten episodes that featured drivers such as Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suárez, Ross Chastain, and Corey LaJoie in the chase for the championship.
Stern says that drivers and teams have been told about the plans for the docuseries, though it remains unclear what the financial terms of the deal are and when, exactly, the series will begin airing.
This would be the second project that NASCAR and Neflix have partnered on, having previously worked together on a docuseries on driver Bubba Wallace which ended up winning a Sports Emmy.
Behind-the-scenes series on motorsports competition worked pretty well for Netflix with Drive to Survive, though efforts to replicate that success with other sports and leagues have proven difficult. But if they’re able to harness the NASCAR fandom, coupled with the audiences who want more behind-the-scenes motorsport content, they might be able to recapture that success here.
[SBJ]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.