“Has anybody’s opinion changed from the start of the year?” Tim Clark recently asked at the NASCAR meeting regarding the playoff structure. And that simple question set off a firestorm of discussion. For months, NASCAR’s top brass, TV partners, and industry insiders have been debating whether the sport should stick with its playoff format or make a seismic shift toward a full-season, 36-race championship.

And while some in the room were exploring tweaks to the current system, at least one voice pushed hard for a total overhaul. But what really raised eyebrows was the surprising stance from NASCAR’s $117 billion broadcast partner, who seemed to pull back from the decision-making table, putting the ball squarely back in NASCAR’s court.

NASCAR’s broadcast powerhouse backs off in the playof

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