Turner Network Television (TNT) announced that it has joined forces with Grammy-nominated rockers Buckcherry to feature the band’s version of Deep Purple’s hit single “Highway Star” as the network’s theme song for its 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series coverage. The song will serve as the primary musical bed for all six of TNT’s races, as well as for the network’s multiplatform marketing campaign surrounding its exclusive race coverage.
The network is producing a full-length music video of “Highway Star” performed by Buckcherry that will debut exclusively on the Turner-operated Web site NASCAR.COM at 11 am ET on Wednesday, May 20. The video will make its television debut the same day during TNT’s exclusive coverage of Game #1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on the Emmy-award winning Inside the NBA post-game show. Additionally, the track will be available for purchase as part of Buckcherry’s Black Butterfly on iTunes beginning on June 16th. As part of the initiative, Buckcherry will perform live at Daytona International Speedway, appearing on TNT’s prerace coverage of the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday, July 4.
“Buckcherry’s ‘Highway Star’ is the perfect theme song to capture the excitement and intensity of NASCAR racing and will be a consistent sound throughout TNT’s NASCAR Summer Series telecasts,” said Craig Barry, Senior Vice President/Creative Director of Turner Sports. “Turner Sports has a track record of collaborating with talented artists to produce original creative that brands our sports properties and resonates with sports fans. Over the years we have been able to amass an impressive portfolio that includes some of the biggest artists in the music industry, and Buckcherry, with their high energy and unique sound, is a great addition.”
“We are big fans of Turner Sports, specifically their NASCAR coverage. We are stoked to be chosen as the featured band of the season. ‘Highway Star’ is a killer rock song and the video we made for it is bigger and badder than anything we have done before. We are looking forward to working with Turner as the campaign runs on TV, radio and online and to getting to the race in Daytona during a break in our touring this summer,” says Buckcherry’s frontman Josh Todd.
The network is producing a full-length music video of “Highway Star” performed by Buckcherry that will debut exclusively on the Turner-operated Web site NASCAR.COM at 11 am ET on Wednesday, May 20. The video will make its television debut the same day during TNT’s exclusive coverage of Game #1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on the Emmy-award winning Inside the NBA post-game show. Additionally, the track will be available for purchase as part of Buckcherry’s Black Butterfly on iTunes beginning on June 16th. As part of the initiative, Buckcherry will perform live at Daytona International Speedway, appearing on TNT’s prerace coverage of the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday, July 4.
“Buckcherry’s ‘Highway Star’ is the perfect theme song to capture the excitement and intensity of NASCAR racing and will be a consistent sound throughout TNT’s NASCAR Summer Series telecasts,” said Craig Barry, Senior Vice President/Creative Director of Turner Sports. “Turner Sports has a track record of collaborating with talented artists to produce original creative that brands our sports properties and resonates with sports fans. Over the years we have been able to amass an impressive portfolio that includes some of the biggest artists in the music industry, and Buckcherry, with their high energy and unique sound, is a great addition.”
“We are big fans of Turner Sports, specifically their NASCAR coverage. We are stoked to be chosen as the featured band of the season. ‘Highway Star’ is a killer rock song and the video we made for it is bigger and badder than anything we have done before. We are looking forward to working with Turner as the campaign runs on TV, radio and online and to getting to the race in Daytona during a break in our touring this summer,” says Buckcherry’s frontman Josh Todd.
