VARIETY's Todd Spangler reported Twitter and NASCAR will "again put racing fans in the virtual driver's seat, expanding their live-streaming deal with 15 races during the second half" of the '18 season. Under the pact, Twitter beginning in July will "live-stream one in-car camera"for 15 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races this year, "including all 10 NASCAR Playoffs races and five regular-season races." The live-streamed races, which will be "available only to users in the U.S., will carry ads but the parties declined to disclose details of the advertising arrangement." NASCAR "debuted the in-car camera live stream on Twitter during last year's NASCAR Playoffs" (VARIETY.com, 3/14).
EXPANDING THEIR REACH: DEADLINE.com's Dade Hayes reported ReachMe TV, a "multi-channel, multi-platform network" that reaches viewers in hotels, airports and retail stores, is "launching a dedicated sports division." The new division has "set multiyear production, programming and distribution partnerships with Audience Network, Sports Illustrated and the Players' Tribune." Former NBA GM Billy King will "serve as president of ReachMe Sports." Under the deal with AT&T's Audience Network, ReachMe will "gain access to signature talk shows featuring Rich Eisen, Dan Patrick and Joe Buck." The Players' Tribune will "offer regular long-form content, and Sports Illustrated will provide access to its daily 'SI Now' talk show." The sports division news "followed word last summer that ReachMe reached a 10-year deal with CBS allowing the company to program and distribute news and sports programming" (DEADLINE.com, 3/14).
ROUSING SUCCESS: Comcast reported ratings in Xfinity X1 households for NBC and NBCSN's primetime Pyeongchang Games programming were "26% higher than the national average." X1 customers "used their voice remotes" more than 14 million times to "navigate the Games." Additionally, the X1 Sports App was launched more than 35 million times "during 18 days of competition" (CABLEFAX DAILY, 3/14).
