TNN Motor Sports
TNN Motor Sports was a motorsports-focused programming block on The Nashville Network from 1983 to 2000. From 2000 to 2003, the block expanded to include Arena Football League games and was renamed TNN Sports. The block ended when TNN rebranded as Spike TV in 2003.
The shows started with American Sports Cavalcade, produced by Diamond P Sports. The very first episode featured swamp buggy racing in Naples, Florida. Diamond P produced most of TNN’s motor sports coverage through 1992. In 1993, TNN began working with World Sports Enterprises (NASCAR) and Group 5 Sports (ASA), while Diamond P continued to contribute much of the coverage. TNN also ran a self-contained division, TNN Motor Sports, from 1991 to 2000.
Under TNN Motor Sports, NASCAR series (Winston Cup, Busch Grand National, Craftsman Truck) were the main focus, but the block also aired IRL, IMSA, SCCA, ASA, USAC, World of Outlaws, NHRA drag racing, AMA Supercross and superbikes, monster trucks, and TNT Motorsports’ tractor pulling.
The RaceDay magazine show aired on Sundays from 1991 to 2001, hosted first by Pat Patterson and later by Rick Benjamin. In 1995, operations moved to the Charlotte Motor Speedway area in Concord, North Carolina, where TNN bought a controlling interest in World Sports Enterprises.
In 1995, Westinghouse (which owned CBS) bought TNN and CMT to form CBS Cable. This allowed CBS Sports run-overs on TNN for some events. Notable moments included the 1999 Texas Motor Speedway NASCAR Busch Series race and the 1998 Pepsi 400, which was moved to October due to wildfires.
Starting in 2000, the name changed to TNN Sports as Arena Football League games began airing under a sublicensing deal with ESPN Regional Television. TNN also aired XFL football games in 2001 under a Viacom deal.
In 2000, TNN and CBS lost NASCAR rights to other networks after about a decade of live coverage, and NHRA rights shifted to ESPN/ESPN2. The network continued some motorsports coverage until the 2004 Champ Car season. Football rights ended after the XFL folded, and Arena Football moved to NBC in 2003, the year TNN was rebranded as Spike TV.
There was a brief revival of the TNN brand from 2012 to 2013, but the channel did not regain sports rights and later became Heartland. The TNN brand license ultimately ended.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:42 (CET).