NHRA TV Rights Could Change In 2027

The FOX Sports family has been the exclusive home of NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series television coverage since 2016, but that could change beginning with the 2027 season.

According to a report from the Sports Business Journal, the television licensing rights for the NHRA are currently in play, and the next media rights agreement could feature multiple broadcast partners instead of a single network.

Sources cited in the report indicate that FOX Sports would retain a portion of the linear television rights, while The CW would reportedly air another portion of the schedule. On the streaming side, NHRA.tv has handled the digital broadcasts in recent years, but FloSports could receive a piece of the streaming rights as part of the proposed agreement.

At this point, none of the reported changes have been finalized. According to Sports Business Journal, additional bidders remain involved, and other media rights structures, including different combinations of broadcast and streaming partners, are still being considered.

NHRA TV Viewership Continues To Grow

What makes the reported negotiations especially interesting is the continued growth of NHRA television viewership across the FOX Sports platforms.

In 2026, NHRA broadcasts are averaging 599,000 viewers, representing a 17-percent increase over the same point in the 2025 season. Those figures do not include viewership or subscriber growth on the NHRA.tv streaming platform.

Strong audience growth could make the NHRA an even more attractive property as broadcasters and streaming services compete for live motorsports content.

Could NHRA Follow NASCAR’s Multi-Platform Model?

A multi-network television package would mirror the direction taken by NASCAR, which now distributes its media rights across FOX, NBC, Amazon Prime Video, TNT, and USA Network.

While NASCAR’s expanded media rights agreement generated additional revenue for the sanctioning body, many fans have expressed frustration with having to follow races across multiple television and streaming platforms throughout the season.

A similar move could provide the NHRA with a more lucrative media rights agreement while also exposing the sport to a broader audience through additional broadcast and streaming partners.

As the way fans consume motorsports content continues to evolve, a new television and streaming agreement could help position the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series for continued growth in the changing media landscape.