PressBox, Author at NXTbets Inc

October 16, 2026

Ferrari promotes Dino Beganovic to Formula 1 reserve role for 2027

Ferrari will promote Dino Beganovic to a Formula 1 reserve-driver role for the 2027 season, and the 22-year-old Swedish-Bosnian will leave Formula 2 to focus on his duties with the team. He will join Antonio Giovinazzi in Ferrari’s reserve-driver lineup and work in the simulator while also supporting race-weekend development.

Beganovic has spent seven years in the Ferrari Driver Academy and has made four Formula 1 practice appearances for Ferrari across the 2025 and 2026 seasons. He is currently fifth in the 2026 Formula 2 standings with DAMS after winning back-to-back races in Madring and Baku, giving him three Formula 2 victories overall.

Beganovic has not secured a Formula 1 race seat despite winning races in every full-time junior category he has contested. Ferrari academy driver Tuukka Taponen is also set to move up from Formula 3 after finishing third in the 2026 standings.
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October 16, 2026

talkSPORT explores bids for BBC Formula 1 and England cricket radio rights

talkSPORT is exploring bids for the BBC radio rights to Formula 1 and England home cricket as it looks to expand its live sports portfolio. Liam Fisher said Formula 1 is a strong fit for talkSPORT’s audience, and a successful bid would end the BBC’s exclusive Formula 1 radio coverage, which has run since 1994.

Fisher said the broadcaster also wants to challenge for England home cricket rights, which BBC Radio’s Test Match Special has covered since 1957. The England and Wales Cricket Board has suggested it may allow more than one radio broadcaster for home series from 2029, a move that could open the door to more competition for BBC radio coverage.

Fisher said talkSPORT’s appointment of Jon Norman as sports rights manager was a pivotal moment in its strategy, as the station looks to target major events that suit its audience and provide “always-on” coverage throughout the week. He said talkSPORT’s growth has moved beyond football and now includes rights to the Lions, the Olympics, away cricket, golf, boxing, darts, MotoGP and the NFL, while its Breakfast show has already overtaken BBC 5 Live in morning listeners. He also said BBC cuts and savings are creating an opening for talkSPORT to expand its live rights portfolio, and noted that the station has already secured live coverage of England’s winter cricket tour of South Africa.
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October 15, 2026

Dale Earnhardt Jr. filed trademark for his name amid long Earnhardt dispute

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, sought more control over the Earnhardt name and related rights after Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in the 2001 Daytona 500. Teresa Earnhardt controlled Dale Earnhardt Inc. and the commercial rights tied to the family name after his death, setting off a long-running dispute that left Earnhardt Jr. estranged from Teresa, even as he said he still hoped for reconciliation.

Earnhardt Jr. later built an independent business identity through JR Motorsports and Dirty Mo Media. After leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. after the 2007 season and joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, he filed a trademark for “Dale Earnhardt Jr.” through DEJ Holdings that year, and it was registered in 2010. A 2012 challenge over the “Earnhardt Collection” name was sent back for further review in 2017.

Earnhardt Jr. said he now leaves “Earnhardt” out of his autograph because it is harder to write and takes longer when he signs thousands of autographs at the track. He said omitting the name was once legally sensitive while he worked with Teresa Earnhardt to secure the rights to his name, and during that period he shortened his autograph to “Dale Jr.” and removed “Earnhardt” from the name rail on his cars. He said the signature used on his merchandise still reflects the trademarked version he adopted around 1998, and that his actual autograph has changed over time while the official signature has not because it is tied to that trademark. His relationship with Kelley Earnhardt Miller remains close.
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October 15, 2026

Williams to stage W50 Live in London for 2027 Formula 1 anniversary

Williams will mark its 50th anniversary year in Formula 1 with a year-long set of celebrations in 2027, becoming only the third team to reach 50 continuous seasons in the series after Ferrari and McLaren. The team will call its 2027 car the FW50, with the chassis designation used as part of the anniversary campaign, and plans to officially launch the car in February 2027. James Vowles said the celebrations will introduce the team’s history to a new generation of fans, while Vowles and Stefano Domenicali highlighted Williams’ 50 continuous years in Formula 1 and its championship-winning legacy.

Williams will stage W50 Live in London from February 11 to 28, 2027, with historic Williams cars, memorabilia and a display version of the 2027 challenger. The team will also hold a fan vote to choose a special one-off livery for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and will release limited-edition anniversary merchandise and collectibles with a commemorative W50 logo.

Williams also plans an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed centered on Jacques Villeneuve’s 1997 title, and expects to end its anniversary celebrations with additional events in December 2027. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon are set to drive for Williams in the 2027 season, and the team said more anniversary events will be announced later.
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October 15, 2026

Skinner, Trigo lead Day 1 at Edommo Surf Pro Razo

Day 1 of the World Surf League European Qualifying Series Edommo Surf Pro Razo QS 2,000 got underway Thursday in Playa de Razo, Spain, with the men’s Round of 80 and women’s Round of 40 completed in two-to-three foot surf. Twelve heats of the men’s Round of 64 were also finished as surfers battled through the early stages of the event.

Lukas Skinner produced the day’s top single-wave score with a 9.00, while Jacobo Trigo posted the highest heat total at 15.66. Noa Dupouy, Nicolas Paulet, Justin Becret, Lukas Skinner and Jacobo Trigo all advanced in the men’s Round of 64.

On the women’s side, Anais Blanchard recorded a 7.33 and Sara Romeo Astiazaran advanced after opening with a 6.50. The competition is scheduled to run through October 18, with the next call set for Friday, October 16 at 8:45 a.m. CEST.
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October 15, 2026

NASCAR says no decision imminent on possible CBS TNT race move

NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell plans to meet with CBS Sports president and CEO David Berson about moving TNT Sports Cup Series races to CBS’s broadcast network. The talks became possible after Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery merged into Skydance, putting TNT Sports and CBS Sports under the same corporate umbrella.

O’Donnell said NASCAR is happy with its current TV partners and that no decision is imminent. Any possible change could involve CBS airing or simulcasting the races, but NASCAR could still make adjustments to its TV lineup in 2027, the third year of its seven-year media deal.

TNT Sports is in the second year of the agreement and has five midseason Cup Series races, which have averaged about 2.0 million to 2.1 million viewers this year. NASCAR’s overall television viewership is down about 15% in the first year of the new paywalled media deals versus 2024, while races on traditional broadcast networks have performed better. CBS previously carried NASCAR for 21 years, beginning with the first live flag-to-flag Daytona 500 in 1979. TNT’s next scheduled NASCAR race is in July 2027, and upcoming Cup Series races include Sonoma, EchoPark Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the San Diego Street Race and Bristol Motor Speedway.
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October 15, 2026

Romero Britto to create custom Cup Series championship trophy for NASCAR

NASCAR and Homestead-Miami Speedway have teamed with artist Romero Britto for Championship Weekend, with NASCAR saying the collaboration is meant to give the title event a South Florida feel. Britto will serve as honorary creative director for the weekend, take part in pre-race festivities and have his artwork featured throughout the speedway during the event.

Britto will also create a one-of-a-kind custom trophy for the Cup Series championship race. The vase-shaped trophy will incorporate his bright colors, bold outlines and geometric patterns, and the Cup winner will raise it in Victory Lane after Sunday’s title race on Nov. 8. NASCAR said the custom piece will not replace the traditional Cup Series championship trophy.

Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway will run from Nov. 6-8, 2026, with the Craftsman Truck Series title race on Friday, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series finale on Saturday and the Cup Series championship race on Sunday. A large Britto mural will appear on the main tower at the speedway, and an exclusive merchandise collection with his designs will be available during the weekend.
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October 15, 2026

FloSports and the National Lacrosse League agree to multiyear media deal

FloSports and the National Lacrosse League agreed to a multiyear media partnership that will make FloSports the exclusive global streaming home of the NLL. The agreement will begin with the league’s 40th anniversary season in November and will cover the regular season, postseason and marquee events, along with live coverage, previews, highlights, recaps and wrap-ups.

FloSports will launch FloLacrosse on Nov. 5, and the new channel will also carry additional box lacrosse and collegiate lacrosse. Subscribers to FloLacrosse will get access to the broader FloSports platform, which the company says includes more than 55,000 annual live events across more than 25 sports. FloLacrosse will be FloSports’ first new channel since FloCollege launched in 2024.

The partnership also includes integrated marketing support and presenting sponsorship of recurring in-game highlights. FloSports will stream the NLL Saturday Showcase game of the week and the 2027 NLL Finals on FloSports Channel, which is available on Prime Video, YouTube and LG Channels. TSN will remain the NLL’s Canadian linear partner and will carry a game of the week and playoff coverage, and the league still has the option of a future U.S. linear TV deal.
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October 15, 2026

NASCAR sets Phoenix Raceway weekend schedule for Oct. 16-18

NASCAR’s national series will race at Phoenix Raceway from Friday through Sunday, Oct. 16-18, with coverage spread across FS2, FOX One, The CW, ESPN, FloRacing, USA Network, HBO Max, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The weekend is the second of five straight tripleheader weekends to close the 2026 season, and The Chase presented by Mobil 1 is entering its final four races across all three divisions.

The weekend will include the Cup Series, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Craftsman Truck Series and two ARCA Menards Series West events. Friday’s schedule features Craftsman Truck Series practice and qualifying, followed by the Zero Carbon Bioethanol 150 and the Truck Series race at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS2. Saturday includes O’Reilly Auto Parts Series practice and qualifying, Cup Series practice and qualifying, the Timberland PRO 200 and the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100, with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race set for 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW.

The Cup Series race is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET as the Freeway Insurance 500. NASCAR listed 11 total tire sets for Cup teams and five total tire sets each for Truck Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series teams for the weekend. Phoenix will not host the Cup Series finale in 2026, with that race moving to Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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