NASCAR revealed plans for a new element in the upcoming season of races. In partnership with TNT Sports, the 2025 Cup Series schedule will include an in-season tournament using a bracket-style format.
The previous three races, streamed on Prime Video, will determine the rankings for the tournament as the governing body experiments with the new format during the first season of its groundbreaking seven-year media contract.
“With the launch of our new media rights partnerships in 2025, we were excited to partner with Prime Video and TNT Sports to collaborate on fan engagement concepts that drive story lines in our sport and innovation from a production perspective,” said Brian Herbst, NASCAR SVP, media and productions, in a press release. “Having head-to-head driver matchups for each one of TNT’s NASCAR Cup Series races will add a compelling fan engagement element across media platforms like TNT, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and NASCAR digital platforms.”
All drivers are allowed to participate in the seeding races, and out of those events, the top 32 drivers will be chosen to compete in the in-season tournament. Seeding for this tournament will be determined by the driver’s best finish in the three races, with tiebreakers being decided by their next-best finishes and then their season points position. During the in-season tournament on TNT Sports and Max, drivers will go head-to-head, and the one with the higher finishing position will advance to the next round. After five rounds, the winner of the tournament will be awarded a grand prize of $1 million.
“It’s never been a better time to be a fan of motorsports, and this new first-ever in-season tournament will bring a new competitive dynamic to NASCAR’s summer race weekends,” said Craig Barry, executive vice president and chief content officer, TNT Sports. “TNT Sports has always been at the forefront of creativity and innovation, and NASCAR is a perfect partner to bring this vision to life across our networks and platforms.”
“We’re excited to be part of NASCAR’s first in-season tournament next season,” said Charlie Neiman, head of sports partnerships, Prime Video. “This tournament will showcase the league’s ability to drive innovation and engage fans with increased competition during a key part of the NASCAR schedule.”
