Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

NBC Sports Focuses Production Resources on Four Drivers Contending for the Cup Series Championship

08/11/2024

NBC Sports Focuses Production Resources on Four Drivers Contending for the Cup Series Championship A NASCAR champion will crowned at NBC at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday By Brandon Costa, Director of Digital

Friday, November 8, 2024 - 11:54 am

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

An eventful NASCAR season comes to a close this weekend as the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship revs into Phoenix Raceway on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock) to crown a champion.

NBC Sports will take a unique approach to covering this race with a full field on the track but only four drivers still running for the championship: Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron. The network will emphasize production resources on the contending drivers and has also assigned pit reporters to each one (Dave Burns with Reddick, Marty Snider with Blaney, Kim Coon with Byron, and Parker Kligerman with Logano.

We pride ourselves on our storytelling, says NBC Sports producer Rene Hatlelid, and that goes beyond the driver - not only does a driver win, a team wins, a crew chief wins, it takes an entire team. It's more of a team sport than people understand.

The broadcast crew will roll out an impressive complement of resources to cover the track and pit row, including 12 hard cameras, four of which will each have the responsibility on isolating one of the four title chasers. Additionally, there will be 10 robotic cameras, five handheld RFs, 1 RF Steadicam, a pair of jibs (one at the pre/post stages and one atop Rattlesnake Hill to capture the beauty and vista of the track and surrounding area), three cameras on the Peacock Pit Box, and a helicopter overhead. The front bench will also have access to 28 in-car cameras sprinkled between seven cars in the race (four of which are the Championship Four).

Hatelid pointed out that while much of the attention for fans heading into this weekend is the battle between the four drivers gunning for the Cup, there's a still a full field of drivers to cover.

It's important to find a balance, she says. At the end of the day, every driver is ending their season, but some drivers are ending careers, some are changing teams, some entire teams are ending. There are a lot of storylines to pay off and it's important to tell those stories and put a button on everyone's hard work. The Championship 4 are the most important, but stories like Martin Truex Jr. retiring, Stewart-Haas going away, Denny Hamlin once again missing the championship, and Reddick's regular-season championship are all examples of stories we plan to touch on as well.

This weekend is also a fork in the road for NASCAR. 2025 will officially begin NASCAR's next $7.7 billion rights deal that will see incumbent broadcasters FOX and NBC welcome new partners in TNT Sports, Prime Video, and The CW. This season, though, has the auto racing giant riding high into a new era. Phoenix closes the book on what's been a big year for NASCAR. Not only did the auto racing organization officially open its new $53 million, 58,000-sq.-ft. production facility in Concord, NC that has placed a greater emphasis on remote-based live production, but television ratings also ticked up 2% overall even despite its biggest race, Daytona, was hit with a 27% ratings dip when that race was marred by rain delays.

For NBC Sports, NASCAR's playoff format despite some controversy has proven to be a winner. Ratings for the races in the playoff schedule are up 6% so far from last year.

It's been an incredible season for us, says Hatelid, who noted she's excited to crown a champion in her hometown of Phoenix. We've had an awesome run of close finishes and historic moments. The competition in the Playoffs has been awesome and we've seen great viewership with five consecutive races and seven of eight with year-over-year gains heading into Phoenix. We were really proud of the Stage Two embeds with the race teams and the stories we were able to tell about the various team members, and we showed more than 600 live green flag laps from the Superspeedway races at Daytona, Atlanta and Talladega, and I think both of those resonated really well with the viewers.

NBC Sports presents the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship from Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., this Sunday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock with a special edition of Countdown to Green beginning at 2 p.m. ET.
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2024/11/08/nbc-sports-focuses-production-r...
See more stories from svg

North America Stories

18/03/2026

Net Insight Names Larissa GrnerMeeus CPO

Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4. Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...

18/03/2026

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026: Select Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...

18/03/2026

SVG's SportsTech@NABShow Blog Goes Live as Countdown to Vegas Heats Up

The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...

18/03/2026

The Premiere of Dead Lover Showcases Grave Robbing and Sex With a Giant Finger

(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...

18/03/2026

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...

18/03/2026

Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2026

Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2...

18/03/2026

Neutrik To Showcase opticalCON ADVANCED Connectors At 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Details 2026 NAB Show Educational Sessions

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

Ben Bradshaw Joins PSSI as Director, Product and Network Development

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

Peter Thordarson Joins ASG as Technical Account Executive

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

Survey: Voters Trust TV News Over AI, Social and Search

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

2026 NAB Show Exhibitor Insight: Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations

SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...

18/03/2026

Maxon Marks Its Official Entry Into the AEC Market With I...

Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...

18/03/2026

Digital Alert Systems NAB Preview 2026

Digital Alert Systems Preview 2026 NAB Show April 19 - 22 Booth C3452 At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...

18/03/2026

Setplex Transforms Video Streaming with AI and Super Aggr...

Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...

18/03/2026

COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago

COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago Brie Clayton March 17, 2026 0 Comments Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...

18/03/2026

COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago

COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago Brie Clayton March 17, 2026 0 Comments Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...

18/03/2026

COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago

COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago Brie Clayton March 17, 2026 0 Comments Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...

18/03/2026

COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago

COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago Brie Clayton March 17, 2026 0 Comments Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...

18/03/2026

Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware, Virtual and Hybrid Audio Lineup Yet

Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...

18/03/2026

Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio

Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton March 17, 2026 0 Comments DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...

18/03/2026

Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown

Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...

18/03/2026

Charlie Puth Joins Switched On Pop at Berklee NYC

Charlie Puth Joins Switched on Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...

18/03/2026

Preparatevi Alla Terza E Ultima Stagione De 'La Legge di Lidia Pot' In Arrivo Solo Su Netflix Dal 15 Aprile

Back to All News Preparatevi Alla Terza E Ultima Stagione De La Legge di Lidia ...

18/03/2026

Netflix Drops Teaser and First Look Images for The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek'

Back to All News Netflix Drops Teaser and First Look Images for The Chestnut M...

17/03/2026

NASA+ Prepares To Live Stream Historic Artemis II Mission, Bringing Deep-Space Exploration to Global Audiences

NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...

17/03/2026

BBright's TTML & SMPTE ST 2110-43: One Single Stream For the Whole World

The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...

17/03/2026

Op-Ed: How Generative AI Is Transforming Live Sports Streaming Optimization

Live sports streaming can push every element in your video delivery chain to its limit, exposing every potential weakness in seconds. When the Super Bowl, the O...

17/03/2026

Dell Case Study: Powering the Future of Sports Media One Experience at a Time at UT Austin

Texas Athletics sought to modernize its media production, enhance fan experience...

17/03/2026

NAB 2026: Ikegami to Showcase Latest Generation TV Production Cameras, Controllers and Monitors

Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast...

17/03/2026

TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia Announce Major Multi-Platform Collaboration

TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia announces a new multi-platform collaboration that will integrate iHeartMedia across TNA's premium live events, weekly televisi...

17/03/2026

The Miami Dolphins and Dell Boost Fan Experience, Safety, and Efficiency at Hard Rock Stadium

The goal was to transform Hard Rock Stadium into a global leader in sports and e...

17/03/2026

Spectrum Launches Multiview for NCAA Basketball Tournaments

Spectrum has announced the launch of its new Multiview feature in the Spectrum TV App, giving customers the ability to watch up to four NCAA men's or women&...

17/03/2026

Pac-12 Inks Integrity/Data Deals With Genius Sports, IC360

Genius Sports deal also covers data technology, AI, fan engagement, and performance analysis....

17/03/2026

Rede Massa Chooses Net Insight to Enable State-Wide Centralized Operations

Net Insight is supporting the rollout of a new state-wide centralized operation with Rede Massa, which is an SBT affiliate, the Brazilian regional television ne...

17/03/2026

F1 The Movie' Wins the Academy Award for Best Sound

Featuring audio from practice sessions, qualifying races, and Grand Prix races, the film represents Apple's sports-media ambitions At Sunday night's Ac...

17/03/2026

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Oracle's Mark Ramberg on the Future of Live Broadcast in the Cloud with OCI

Live broadcast has always been one of the most demanding environments in media a...

17/03/2026

DIRECTV Adds Multiview and Sports Central Features Ahead of NCAA Tournament

DirecTV is introducing several new viewing features, including a multi-screen March Madness Mix channel and an updated Sports Central mobile app hub, ahead of...

17/03/2026

Deltatre and ATP Media Announce Multi-Year Broadcast Graphics/Data Partnership

Deltatre has announced a multi-year partnership with ATP Media, the media arm of the ATP Tour, covering broadcast graphics, data, and production across the 2026...

17/03/2026

Detroit Pistons, Scripps Sports To Air Five Games Free Over the Air on TV-20 Detroit

The Detroit Pistons have announced a third consecutive season partnering with Sc...

17/03/2026

NAB Appoints Two New Members to Television Board of Directors

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

17/03/2026

PMVG's TechConnect Goes Virtual for 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

17/03/2026

Miris unlocks high-fidelity 3D asset streaming at scale

3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced the launch of a public beta for its new 3D asset streaming platform. Miris is building the infrastruc...

17/03/2026

Tedial Powers the Future of Media Operations at NAB Show...

As media organizations face mounting pressure to produce more content, faster, while maximizing value and operational efficiency, Tedial, a leading provider of ...

17/03/2026

Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability wit...

Brainstorm, a leading manufacturer of real-time graphics, augmented and virtual production, is launching the newest version of its platform, Brainstorm Suite 7,...

17/03/2026

Limecraft Introduces New Platform Update Adding Greater C...

Limecraft today announces the release of Limecraft 2026.2, the second platform update in its 2026 release cycle. Limecraft is an AI-powered production platform ...

17/03/2026

Pioneering the Next Era of Sports Broadcasting - Broadcas...

Broadcast Solutions, a leading system integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, showcased its latest broadcast and V...