Catchfence

Content to be Headlined by Three Original Web Series and Signature ‘NASCAR on SPEED’ Shoulder Programming

Turner Sports and SPEED announced today the debut of the ‘NASCAR on SPEED’ broadband channel on Turner Sports-managed NASCAR.COM, the online home of NASCAR. The broadband channel launch on Wednesday, Sept. 9 and will give fans all-access to premium video content from two of the top brands in NASCAR, including three original Webisode series, event coverage and shoulder programming from SPEED. The original content includes:

• Victory Lane Fan Finish: Kenny Wallace, Jimmie Spencer & John Roberts answer comments submitted by viewers online right after the race and give their opinion and perspective on what happened and why.

• SPEED’s Race & Chase Preview: Michael Waltrip, Greg Biffle, Chad Knaus and Steve Byrnes will break down what to look for at the next race, drivers to watch and how it could affect the Chase.

• SPEED’s Rutledge at Large!: Join Rutledge Wood behind the scenes with drivers and fans, at the track, hamming it up in the in-field and at special NASCAR events.

• Signature SPEED shoulder programming: NASCAR RaceDay Built by the Home Depot, NASCAR Victory Lane, Trackside, NASCAR Performance, NASCAR Live!, This Week in NASCAR and NASCAR Smarts.

“The partnership between NASCAR.COM and SPEED is a natural, yet groundbreaking collaboration between two of the top brands in the sport, matching the official league Web site with the definite television network for motor sports to offer an even richer online video experience to NASCAR fans,” said Matthew Hong, vice president and general manager of sports digital for Turner Sports. “NASCAR.COM prides itself on offering the most exclusive, comprehensive and innovative coverage and the celebrated ‘NASCAR on SPEED’ content is an excellent addition to our industry-leading suite of video offerings.”

“This media partnership between the official league Web site and the only network to program from the track all season long proves that serving the NASCAR fan is simply good business,” said Kevin Annison, SPEED VP of Digital & Interactive Media. “NASCAR.COM gets access to popular NASCAR on SPEED video programming, SPEED secures distribution on the No. 1 online outlet for its NASCAR on SPEED programming and NASCAR fans get another way to view some new original programming as well as content from their favorite SPEED programs.”

The ‘NASCAR on SPEED’ is an extension of a recently formed partnership between the two organizations and will be sold exclusively by the Turner Sports sales team and the online programming will be available at both NASCAR.COM as well as the NASCAR section of Yahoo! Sports as part of Turner’s strategic partnership with Yahoo!.

Turner Sports acquired all of NASCAR’s interactive rights in October 2000 and became the exclusive producer of NASCAR.COM in January 2001. The official online destination of NASCAR, the site consistently ranks among the top three sport league sites on the Internet. In 2008 NASCAR.COM was awarded a Global Media Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) for RaceBuddy as the outstanding interactive platform of the year. The site has also earned an Emmy® for its TrackPass with PitCommand application in 2003.

Turner Sports, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., presents some of the best and most popular sporting events worldwide and is a leader in televised and online sports programming. With events airing on TBS and TNT, Turner Sports’ line-up includes NASCAR and NASCAR.COM, the NBA, Major League Baseball, professional golf, PGATOUR.COM and PGA.com. Turner Sports and the NBA also jointly manage NBA Digital, which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA League Pass, NBADLeague.com and WNBA.com.

SPEED™ is the nation’s first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 78 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country and, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEEDtv.com, the online motor sports authority.

- SPEED TV/Turner Sports, Press Release