Motorsports network MavTV said it has relaunched under former Fox executive CJ Olivares.

MavTV has expanded its distribution. In pay TV, the channel has added DirecTV and Charter Communications’s Spectrum TV. Its free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels have been picked up by Xumo Play and LG Channels, which join Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Pluto TV and Vizio.

MavTV started a subscription streaming service in 2021, but shut it down in 2022.

The Lucas Oil Products-owned network also has a new programming strategy, with additional documentary programming focused on drivers, teams and tracks, in addition to exclusive live racing.

MavTV will also focus on strengthening its weekday primetime with themed blocks and its daytime lineup with more live races and weekday lunchtime blocks that provide a sampling of its best content.

“I’m honored to lead and steward MavTV’s rich legacy into the future – and do so with immense optimism and a new direction that further fuels the passion of enthusiasts in subcultures across two-wheel, four-wheel, dirt, pavement and water,” Olivares said.

“Exciting new platforms will soon be launched in lockstep with a diversified content offering that will elevate viewers’ investment in racing on the weekends – anchored by premium, compelling and narratively-driven programming that takes fans behind-the-scenes with athletes and teams like never before. All while we continue to expand distribution with new and existing partnerships that will add tens of millions of devices and viewers to the MavTV family,” Olivares said.

MavTV says primetime viewership was up 65% year over year in 2023. It’s largest audience group is young men 18 to 24, but the number of women viewers increased 46%

New series on MavTV include:

On the Rise: An original episodic docu-series that introduces fans to the rising young stars of the motorsports world. Featuring names like Jaxon Bell, Julien Beaumer, Gavan Boschele, Hannah Greenmeier, Dane Idelson, Ben Maier and William Sawalich, each episode follows a young driver chasing the dream of competing at the highest levels of racing.

The Life: A docu-series that features a different top driver or rider from across the spectrum of global motorsports. Fans get an insider’s perspective and insights into what it is really like to live life in the fast lane.

In the Machine: A three-part mini-docuseries, launching in January 2024, is MavTV’s first effort in shining a light on the groundswell of women in motorsports. The show follows Ashley Freiberg’s challenging journey as a racer, factory driving instructor, part-time real estate agent and newlywed chasing her championship dream.

MavTV Motorsports Network will discontinue its MavTV Plus streaming service next month after reaching a content distribution deal with sports streaming service FloSports, the two parties announced Thursday.

FloSports's FloRacing streaming motorsports platform and MavTV Plus will co-stream live motorsports programming beginning Thursday (June 30), with FloSports creating a new MavTV on FloRacing streaming channel, according to the streaming service. 

The MavTV Plus SVOD service, which launched in 2021 and retails for $6.99 per month, will continue to stream motorsports events through July 26 before ending its feed. In an e-mail to MavTV Plus subscribers, The Lucas Oil-owned MavTV said that subscribers would have to sign up for FloRacing to watch future content, including the remaining rounds of the Lucas Oil Pro Motorcross Championship, which runs through September.

“MX Sports Pro Racing and MavTV are grateful for your patience regarding the MavTV Plus streaming platform,” said MavTV in the e-mail. “The goal of the service has always been to bring you the best motorosports streaming coverage possible, which is why MavTV is thrilled to announce a new partnership to do just that.” 

The deal adds to FloSports’s lineup of more than 200,000 sports competitions live or on demand for over 25 different sports.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome MavTV viewers from across the globe to FloSports," CEO and Co-founder Mark Floreani said in a statement. "Our platform will give current MavTV Plus users access to all of our live and on-demand events including motorsports and so much more. With the first live MavTV on FloRacing event streaming today, we aim to create a seamless viewing experience and ensure not a minute of a live event is missed.”

Added Lucas Oil President Morgan Lucas: “We place enormous value on the fan experience; we want to give our customers the best viewing experience possible. MavTV's mission is to connect race fans to their favorite events - from anywhere. FloSports helps us deliver on that mission, giving subscribers the best support, technology, and access to the motorsports events they love. We are all-in and eager to build this partnership into the best motorsports streaming platform available.” ■

MAVTV is getting live racing back on the schedule with the opening rounds for MotoAmerica's Supersport series from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, with one-hour broadcasts on May 30 and 31, starting at 3 p.m. ET both days. 

Motor racing has been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but has been on the way back, albeit without in-person audiences.

Related: NASCAR Restarts Season

“MAVTV has a rich history with two-wheel racing and we are proud to offer America’s premier road racing series in our May broadcast schedule,” John Duff, Head of Content, MAVTV Motorsports Network, said in a release. “While racing without fans isn’t ideal, the ability to hold a live race is still a big win for the industry and its fans, and we’re excited to broadcast these live events to motorsports enthusiasts.”

MAVTV is owned by Lucas Oil Products.

MAVTV Motorsports Network will launch in Canada on Jan. 10, 2017, in partnership with media executive Mike Garrow via a distribution agreement with the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance, which represents 115 or so independent pay-TV providers. The launch date is timed to include the Lucas Oil Products-owned network's biggest event, the 31st annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals indoor race, in January. Garrow told Multichannel News he was hopeful a good number of CCSA members will pick up the network at launch and that the network also continues to seek carriage on bigger pay-TV providers in Canada, such as Bell, Shaw, Rogers, Cogeco and Videotron.

Over the next several years, the Canadian version of MAVTV will ramp up the Canadian-event portion of the network's schedule to at least 35%, in keeping with content rules in Canada, Garrow said. Original programming on the network that will come over from the U.S. version includes The Dave Despain Show, Full Custom Garage, Stacey David's GearZ and Speed Sport hosted by Ralph Sheheen in partnership with National Speed Sports News. MAVTV's current programming in the United States already includes Canadian events, so the requirement is likely to be met "from the get-go," MAVTV president Bob Patison told MCN today. 

The hoped-for Canada launch has been in the works since 2015, as chronicled on MAVTV Canada Facebook page. In a June 2016 post on the Facebook page, Garrow said "the 'slow process' to launch has nothing to do with the channel and its interest with providers" and more to do with the regulations that govern pay-TV providers there. When the Canadian government in 2015 mandated a la carte channel offerings to consumers, pay-TV providers had to re-do existing agreements "for already established channels due to those regulations which -- as you are aware -- can be over 200 services," Garrow noted in the post.

Patison said the regulatory changes -- which led to various "skinny TV packages" launching in Canada this past January -- derailed several promising opportunities before now to sign launch agreements. "It's taken a little longer than we'd hoped but at least we are making progress," he said. "I'm hopeful now that once we get the first one under our belts that we'll land a few more."

Launching via CCSA could work well given MAVTV's grassroots motorsports programming and audience, Patison noted. "NCTC is very good to us here, and it hits the heart of our demographic target. So I believe the same will hold true up in Canada." 

"CCSA is excited to provide Canadian motorsport and automotive enthusiasts this unique slate of adrenaline rushing, heart pumping content," Jenny Bosien, CCSA acting president and CEO, said in the network's release. "We look forward to working with Mike and his dedicated team at MAVTV and we are pleased to be able to offer and promote this service to CCSA members across the country."

Patison, in the release, noted: "MAVTV Motorsports Network has been delivering the best grass roots racing content on television for many years, and now our Canadian race fans will be able to enjoy our exciting shows and exclusive events."