Report: NASCAR close to new Fox TV deal

NASCAR is in the homestretch of finalizing a new television deal with Fox for the first half of the Sprint Cup Series season.

According to a Sports Business Journal report, the network is willing to lock up a new package with NASCAR for 2014 and beyond. Fox has been a NASCAR partner since 2001 and reportedly will continue to televise the first half of the Cup Series campaign annually beginning with the Daytona 500.

It is expected the rights' fees will at least be on par with the $220 million a year deal that NASCAR currently has with Fox as part of the total $2.74 billion agreement the sanctioning body has with Fox, TNT and ABC/ESPN through the end of the 2013 season.

Although Fox is willing to sign early, NASCAR isn't expected to finalize the remainder of its rights' fees until next year.

The second half of the Sprint Cup Series season, the Nationwide Series schedule and the Camping World Truck Series slate are all up for grabs. New players NBC and CBS could be involved in the next round of negotiations.

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