NASCAR fans have taken a clear liking to Amazon Prime’s broadcasting venture. From the moment Prime Video aired its first NASCAR race with the Coca-Cola 600, viewers were quick to applaud the crisp presentation, streamlined coverage, and reduced ad interruptions. According to data from CawsNjaws, the Nashville Cup Series broadcast included only six minutes of full commercial breaks across its 198-minute runtime. The booth commentary, led by Dale Earnhardt Jr., also struck a chord with fans.
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NASCAR, for its part, appears committed to playing the long game. The league understands it may take a few knocks in the short term, but is betting on a longer-term payoff, much like the NFL did when it moved its Thursday Night Football package exclusively to Prime in 2022. Year 1 saw a significant drop in viewership, a dip NASCAR is now experiencing as well.
This spring, NASCAR on FOX (largely via FS1) averaged 3.1 million viewers despite only five of 15 races airing on the main network. While that figure is slightly down from last year, the reach remains commendable. However, with races in Prime’s schedule, the viewership numbers have already been cut significantly — by 21 per cent. It’s a steep drop, but if the NFL’s trajectory is any guide, the road ahead looks promising.
Younger fans, in particular, have embraced Prime’s fresh approach. Following the broadcast team’s final race of the season at Pocono, Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted a photo on X with the full crew, including Steve Letarte and Corey LaJoie. The response in the comments section was swift and overwhelmingly positive.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 23, 2025
“You all set the standard,” one fan wrote. Another chimed in, “@NASCARonPrime is already my favorite coverage. You guys were outstanding! Wish it was more than 5 races…they flew by.” One viewer praised the team dynamic, noting, “What a team, great coverage. Great seeing Carl back, but that fella on the far right gained himself a lot of fans. Hell of a job.”
Others shared how Prime’s broadcasts rekindled their passion for NASCAR. “I enjoyed these races more than I have in a long time. I understand the frustration of those who don’t have Prime, especially as I moved and lost my CW access for Xfinity, but the joy of just getting to see what’s going on the enjoyment of the team made it fantastic.”
What set Prime apart was its deep dive into race analytics. For years, fans watching from home were left to guess how pit strategies or fuel mileage would play out. That changed with Amazon’s debut at Michigan. Jeff Gordon highlighted how Prime’s broadcast finally brought the nuances of race strategy into focus.
He emphasized that demystifying the technical side of the race helps viewers stay engaged. With live telemetry and real-time data, fans could clearly track fuel-saving strategies, tire wear, and lap estimates, transforming what was once guesswork into informed analysis. Having first perfected its analytics-driven approach during NFL broadcasts, Amazon has now injected that same level of precision into NASCAR.
Unlike traditional NASCAR coverage, Prime went beyond the basics. The broadcast detailed which drivers stayed out, who came in, their original position, tire changes, and where they cycled out, the full-picture view fans have long craved. While Fox and NBC have consistently delivered reliable pit road reporting, Amazon Prime has, by all accounts, raised the bar.
