NASCAR Is Making a Big Broadcast Change for the Rest of the 2026 Season

NASCAR fans tuning into this weekend’s racing Indianapolis Motor Speedway will notice more than just a new battle on the track.

Beginning with Sunday’s Cup Series race, NASCAR is introducing a new broadcast presentation that will remain in place for the rest of the 2026 season, including every race in The Chase.

The change comes as USA Sports officially takes over coverage of the final 14 Cup Series events, bringing new branding, familiar broadcast voices and several additions designed to give viewers a different perspective throughout race weekends.

Here’s what fans can expect.

USA Sports will cover NASCAR’s final 14 races

NASCAR confirmed Wednesday that USA Sports will brand every remaining Cup Series broadcast beginning at New Hampshire and continuing through the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Although Daytona, Talladega, Martinsville and Homestead-Miami will still air on NBC, the broadcasts themselves will carry USA Sports branding throughout the telecast.

That includes everything from on-screen graphics and microphones to pit-road signage, track branding and broadcast presentation.

USA Sports executive producer and senior vice president of sports production Jeff Behnke said the goal is to create one consistent identity throughout the remainder of the season.

“All 14 (races) will be branded USA Sports,” Behnke said. “Daytona, Talladega, Martinsville, and (Homestead) Miami will all air on NBC, but that is the only branding that you will hear or see when we first come on the air. It will all be USA Sports, whether it’s mic flags, billboards, wardrobe by announcers, at-track branding on the track and the infield grass, pit walls, everything. All 14 races is USA Sports.”

Familiar voices return with one notable addition

While the branding changes, the booth itself will remain familiar for longtime NASCAR viewers.

Leigh Diffey will continue handling play-by-play alongside analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte, while NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett joins Marty Snider on the pre-race show.

Pit road coverage will feature Kim Coon, Dave Burns and Trevor Bayne, who is also taking on a new role this season.

At select races, Bayne will report live from inside the pace car, giving viewers a perspective they typically don’t see during NASCAR broadcasts.

“We couldn’t have pulled this off without the help of Elton (Sawyer, NASCAR senior vice president of competition) and his entire team,” Behnke said. “More to come on that, but having Trevor live inside of a pace car at select races we think is going to be really game-changing and really create some new experiences for the fans.”

The Chase coverage gets a new focus

USA Sports is also preparing for its first season covering The Chase after NASCAR retired the previous playoff format in favor of the sport’s new championship structure.

Rather than focusing primarily on elimination scenarios, Letarte said the new format creates more opportunities to analyze momentum and championship contenders throughout the closing stretch of the season.

“It frees us up because we get to give our opinion on what the cutline is,” Letarte said. “Where now I believe that the concept of being cut or eliminated now comes down to the magical question: ‘Jeff, how far back can someone make a run? Leigh, can this guy get here?’”

Diffey added that the final four regular-season races now become just as important as the championship itself because they help establish the storylines leading into The Chase.

“We kind of get two bites at the cherry because we get those last four (regular-season) races, but we have to tell the story of who’s going to make The Chase,” Diffey said. “It’s great to have The Chase again.”

Beyond race coverage, USA Sports will also debut a new three-part documentary series, NASCAR Americana, on Aug. 9 following the Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway.

Together, the expanded programming and refreshed presentation mark one of the biggest television changes NASCAR fans will see during the second half of the 2026 season.

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