And just like that, NBC Sports Network is back from the dead, set to relaunch later this fall in a move that’s got NASCAR fans buzzing. For years, NBCSN was the sport’s cable home, delivering Cup Series night races, Xfinity battles, and the daily NASCAR America studio show. When NBCUniversal pulled the plug in 2021, coverage shifted to USA Network, a channel better known for Law & Order: SVU reruns than live sports.

Fans never quite vibed with the switch. Post-race coverage often felt like an afterthought, with driver interviews cut short for scripted shows. The move left a void, stripping NASCAR of a dedicated sports platform and frustrating fans who craved the old NBCSN’s focus.

The 2021 shutdown was pitched as a streamlining effort. With the NHL jumping to ESPN and Turner, NBCUniversal folded its sports rights into USA and Peacock, arguing it simplified things. But for NASCAR, which relied on NBCSN for half its season, the transition was clunky. NASCAR America vanished, and the sport lost a mainstream hub for highlights and chatter. IndyCar and the Premier League felt the pinch too, scattered across channels that didn’t scream “sports.”

So why revive NBCSN now? It’s tied to NASCAR’s 2025 media deal, splitting the schedule between Fox, Amazon Prime, TNT Sports, and NBC. NBC keeps the final 14 Cup races, including the playoffs, and needs a strong platform beyond its broadcast network. USA Network never cut it. Its general-entertainment vibe clashed with NASCAR’s high-octane needs. A reborn NBCSN could bring back that sports-first feel, maybe even reviving shows like NASCAR America to keep fans hooked all week.

The catch? Streaming’s not the cure-all NBC hoped. Peacock hosts select races, but NASCAR’s older, cable-loyal fans aren’t rushing to subscribe. With U.S. households shelling out over $90 a month on streaming, per Variety, subscription fatigue is real. Fans have vented about chasing races across Peacock, USA, and NBC, craving the simplicity of a single channel. NBCSN’s return, reimagined as a “virtual channel” simulcasting Peacock’s live sports, aims to fix that, doubling as a home for NASCAR, IndyCar, and Olympic overflow.

But not everyone’s cheering. The revival feels like a U-turn after NBC spent millions shuttering NBCSN and shifting contracts to USA. Fans see it as corporate flip-flopping, questioning why a sports network was axed only to be brought back four years later. The new NBCSN won’t be the same, blending cable and streaming, but it could restore stability for NASCAR in a fragmented broadcast world.

Reddit’s been a hotbed of fan reactions, with some cheering the move and others tearing into NBC’s strategy. The mix of hope and skepticism shows NASCAR’s broadcast future is as much a battleground as the track, with fans demanding a better way to watch their sport.

Fans sound off on NBCSN’s revival

Reddit lit up when NBCSN’s return was announced, and fans didn’t hold back: “I never understood why they closed NBCSN in the first place, I understand they lost the NHL contract ofc but they could’ve kept it around for NASCAR and their other sports they have deals with.” The 2021 shutdown, driven by the NHL’s exit to ESPN and Turner, left NASCAR fans scratching their heads. NBCSN was a motorsports haven, airing Cup and Xfinity races plus NASCAR America.

Even with IndyCar and Premier League deals still active, NBC ditched a sports brand that could’ve stayed a NASCAR anchor, like FS1 for Fox. Fans argue it was a shortsighted move, leaving the sport stranded on the USA’s mismatched lineup.

“I’m going to miss when they cut the post-race victory lane interview for 10-year-old Law and Order SVU reruns,” one user jabbed. It’s a sore spot. The USA’s habit of slicing post-race coverage for reruns has irked fans since 2022.

NBCSN prioritized sports, letting driver interviews and analysis breathe, while USA’s schedule often rushed to scripted shows, leaving viewers shortchanged. It’s a stark contrast to the days when NBCSN gave NASCAR the spotlight it deserved.

“My god, NBCU is so stupid. I can only imagine how much was spent to shutter NBCSN, move all of their remaining TV contracts to other NBCU networks/Peacock, pay out any remaining employee contracts, then turn around and spend more money to relaunch the brand less than four years later. NBC could probably buy 10k computers, and give them to 10k monkeys, and probably get as intelligent a business plan as their current executive board,” another fan vented.

Shutting down NBCSN cost millions in buyouts and logistics, with more spent to prop up USA’s sports infrastructure. Now, reviving NBCSN feels like admitting defeat, and fans are calling out the corporate whiplash, questioning NBC’s long-term vision.

“So supposedly, this is just a higher-tier virtual channel that is going to simulcast select Peacock games. So basically a lot of NBA, college basketball, and Olympics this winter. Not sure why they wouldn’t call it Peacock Sports,” one user noted. The new NBCSN, a hybrid of cable and Peacock simulcasts, will carry NASCAR, IndyCar, and NBA games starting in 2025. But the branding choice, reviving NBCSN over Peacock Sports, has fans puzzled, though it leans on NBCSN’s name recognition. It’s a nod to familiarity, critical for NASCAR’s cable-loving base.

“As much as I love watching sports, this is just more proof that streaming has failed us. So many people were tired of paying high cable bills to fund sports networks they never watched when all they wanted was Hallmark Channel and Discovery (or whatever). Now we’re just back to everyone paying exorbitant fees for sports they don’t care about,” another wrote.

With streaming costs rivaling cable, $90 a month for bundles, fans feel burned. Cord-cutting promised choice, but chasing NASCAR across Peacock, Amazon, and USA feels like cable’s old traps. NBCSN’s return could simplify things, but the skepticism runs deep, tied to NASCAR’s broader fight to keep fans tuned in.