You’ll Have to Pay to Listen Over Web

Following the lead of the NBA and major league baseball, the owner of NASCAR’s Web site plans to start charging stock-car racing fans for access to its online audio and video feeds--just in time for its biggest race of the year.

Turner Sports Interactive, the AOL Time Warner subsidiary that owns NASCAR’s Internet rights, teamed with RealNetworks Inc. for the subscription-based service, which expands on the audio and video currently offered on the NASCAR Web site. The new service launches Saturday, the day before NASCAR is scheduled to run the Daytona 500.

Financial terms of the multi-year deal were not disclosed.

Race fans won’t have to pay immediately--Saturday’s coverage will be available as a free trial. But come Sunday, NASCAR.com will be charging $29.95 a year or $4.95 a month for access to the site’s audio and video features.

Real also will make it available as a $2-a-month add-on to the RealOne package of sports, news and entertainment, which starts at $9.95 a month. Real offers a two-week free trial of its service. A spokesman for NASCAR had no comment on deal.

John Healey