Daytona 500 to Be Broadcast in HDTV

[Gregg Lengling]

The Daytona 500 will be the first auto race to be broadcast in high definition.

   

The Feb. 15 race is being shown by NBC.


Besides a clearer and sharper picture, director Mike Wells said Thursday the HDTV broadcast will allow viewers to see more cars on the left and right of the screen than they would with standard television.


"It gives you that bigger feel," Wells said. "You feel so much more a part of the event."


The network has no immediate plans to broadcast future races in high definition.


NBC has had success with the Daytona 500 before. The network's broadcast of the 2002 race got a 10.9 rating, the highest ever for start-to-finish coverage.


NBC Sports, Fox Sports, Turner Sports, TNT and FX are entering the fourth year of a six-year, $2.8 billion deal to broadcast NASCAR (news - web sites).

[Joel S]

This is great news:D

But somebody over at FOX6 needs to tell Tom Pippins and the other sports guys that the Daytona 500 will not be braodcast by FOX6.  Twice in the last week at the end of the sports report the anchor mentioned that the Daytona 500 will be on FOX6.  Thank God it won't be in that pathetic EDTV!!