NHRA is shifting gears, announcing an end to its run with ESPN and a new deal that will bring its races to FOX Sports. Starting in 2016, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will be carried on FOX Sports 1 with four events also airing on the FOX national broadcast network during each season of the long-term agreement. The deal sees FS1 slating coverage of Friday and Saturday qualifying and Sunday eliminations for each NHRA Mello Yello Series event, with a minimum of 16 Sunday eliminations shows to be presented in a live coverage format, and the remainder shown either in weekend afternoon or primetime time slots. Overall, FOX national networks will showcase more than 450 hours per year of NHRA programming. The 2016 season was originally set to be the final year of a five-year rights extension deal with ESPN that took effect in 2012.
“This really is a game-changer for NHRA regarding the presentation of our marquee product, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series,” said Peter Clifford, NHRA president. “FOX Sports promises to be just the right media partner we’ve been looking for to help give our professional series the stage it deserves and to provide our passionate fans the timely, quality coverage they are craving.”