NBC's new contract to broadcast NFL games next year could affect NASCAR Nextel Cup racing.

NBC officials announced Monday a six-year deal to broadcast Sunday night NFL games beginning in 2006. Next year also is the final year of NBC's contract to broadcast NASCAR Cup and Busch races. So next fall, NBC is scheduled to carry both stock-car racing and pro football on the same day.

That could conflict with NASCAR's plan to start Cup races later to reach more fans.

"The schedule is going to be interesting for 2006 because of this," said Humpy Wheeler, who is a member of NASCAR's TV committee and is president of Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"I think there probably is going to be more pressure to run some Saturday night races that don't have them now."

Wes Harris, spokesman for International Speedway Corp., which operates 12 tracks that host Cup races, said more Saturday night racing could be possible.

"We'll look at it if it makes sense for the track as well as NASCAR and the broadcast partners," Harris said. "A lot of times you get better ratings on Sunday than Saturday for the same race."

The 2006 Cup schedule is not set, so any issues are uncertain. Based on this year's schedule, the final three races could overlap the time devoted for NBC's NFL programming. The Cup season ends with Texas (Nov.6), Phoenix (Nov.13) and Homestead (Nov.20).

NBC plans to run an NFL pre-game show at 7 p.m., with the kickoff for its game at 8:15 p.m.

This fall's Texas race is scheduled to begin at 3:20 p.m. Last week's race there lasted nearly four hours. The Phoenix race starts at 3:40 p.m. and last year's race took about 3 hours and 20 minutes. Similar race lengths could delay the start of NBC's pregame show.

The Homestead race is scheduled to begin at 4:20 p.m. Last year's race took 3 hours and 50 minutes. A similar length could eliminate most of the NFL pregame show.

Also, NASCAR chairman Brian France has said he wants to build the season finale. He wants to create a Super Bowl-like atmosphere with a late starting time, so the race ends in prime time and reaches a larger audience.

Dick Glover, NASCAR vice president of broadcasting, said he didn't anticipate problems resolving starting times.

"Everybody has a lot of time to work out the schedule," he said.

How the problem will be resolved is uncertain.

While starting times might prove to be a sticking point, Glover said the deal can only help NASCAR. He notes that this gives the sport another chance to be promoted to NFL audiences.

Wheeler said NBC's deal helps NASCAR financially.

"It establishes a high-water mark for TV dollars," Wheeler said of the TV money. "That's going to have a positive effect on us."

NBC reportedly will pay $3.6 billion over six years for the Sunday night games. CBS and Fox earlier agreed to pay $8 billion over six years for Sunday afternoon NFL games. ESPN will pay about $8.8 billion over eight years for Monday night games.

USA Today reported that the NFL will earn $3.735 billion a year from TV revenues. NASCAR's contract, which began in 2001, with NBC and Fox is worth about $2.4 billion total.

NBC and NASCAR officials said the NFL deal does not affect their negotiations. NASCAR is negotiating its next TV package.

NBC, along with TNT, broadcast the second half of the Cup season. Fox and FX broadcast the season's first half. The Fox contract has a two-year option that carries it through 2008. ABC has expressed interest in broadcasting NASCAR events.

"It's going to be a lot of fun to see what happens with NBC and ABC hitting head-on over this," Wheeler said. "That's something NASCAR is not talking much about because they don't want to offend anyone, but I will. That's the greatest thing that could happen.

"ABC has lost 'Monday Night Football,' so they've got some money that they didn't have before. Plus, they've got [partner] ESPN to throw racing on and [ESPN] misses racing, we know that."