For over two decades, FOX has been the undisputed home of NASCAR, covering races with a formula familiar to fans: lagging commentary, missed key moments, and overstuffing of ads. But thanks to the new media rights deal of 2024, there are other contenders for the ‘best broadcasting partner‘ throne right now. After the Coca-Cola 600 was broadcast on Amazon Prime Video for a new streaming chapter, things look very promising. And that first race viewership is going to go a long way!
At Charlotte Motor Speedway, the coverage exceeded nearly every prediction, both in terms of execution and audience reach. NASCAR’s first streaming-exclusive points race ended up smashing numbers, forcing even the skeptics to take notice. The broadcast style was fresh, commercial breaks were minimized, and fan-focused features dominated the screen. There was a feeling that something had shifted. Viewers responded by tuning in at record-breaking levels for this digital-first NASCAR event.
Walking into the new dawn of NASCAR broadcasting
Amazon Prime just blew the roof off streaming sports. The Charlotte race viewership topped every Fox Sports 1 non-Daytona race since 2018. For years, FS1 has been NASCAR’s summer home turf, but now a fresh streaming giant has crashed the party, and the fans are clearly tuning in. And here’s the kicker: the Amazon Prime NASCAR race even outdrew ESPN’s NBA conference final games happening the same night! Evidently, NASCAR streaming is pulling more eyeballs than the NBA playoffs. That would’ve sounded wild just a couple of years ago. But Amazon has not stepped back from flaunting the numbers they have achieved.
Prime Video Sport PR has released an X post on their official account with staggering numbers with the caption, “@NASCAR on @PrimeVideo delivered a historic debut at @CLTMotorSpdwy for inaugural Cup Series coverage! ” And then comes the real deal. The peak audience during the race coverage was 2.92 million. And for the post-race show, 1.04 million people stayed back, and that’s an achievement of its own. But the real deal came after that. This is the first time in many years that the viewers’ age range has dropped 7 years younger than the average median age for television broadcasts. Does this mean new and younger eyeballs are joining the sport? That prospect is interesting in itself! Many insiders have come forward to celebrate this historical moment.
@NASCAR on @PrimeVideo delivered a historic debut at @CLTMotorSpdwy for inaugural Cup Series coverage! pic.twitter.com/pkdc4eoPK4
— PrimeVideoSportsPR (@PrimeSportsPR) May 28, 2025
Adam Stern from SBJ perfectly summed it up in his X post, captioned, “@PrimeVideo got 2.72 million viewers for Sunday’s Coke 600, according to @Nielsen Panel + Big Data figures, the first premier series race to be exclusively digitally streamed in the 77-year history of @NASCAR.” Moreover, it is important to note the demographic shift. The average age of viewers tuning in via Prime definitely skewed younger, landing around 56 years old. This might sound old until one realizes that traditional NASCAR TV audiences usually clock in closer to 62. And that difference is huge in TV terms—it means younger fans are showing up, eager to stream their racing fix on demand and their terms.
Stern dropped another X post saying, “@PrimeVideo got 800,000 viewers in the P18-49 demographic for Sunday’s Coke 600, which beats all NASCAR races that have been on cable (but not broadcast TV) since at least 2022, per @Nielsen The post-race show, which lasted over an hour, averaged 1.04 million viewers.” While this speaks volumes about the Amazon Prime Broadcast, FOX’s involvement in the sport cannot be sidelined.
In 2001, NASCAR signed a landmark six-year $2.4 billion unified broadcast contract, splitting coverage between FOX/FX and NBC/TNT. Fox’s first year as a NASCAR broadcasting partner marked a major investment, and it brought in experienced announcers like Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, and Larry McReynolds. This was just the beginning of FOX’s NASCAR adventures. And the rest is history.
Throughout its run, FOX’s coverage of NASCAR has won 13 Emmy Awards. The channel laid the groundwork for NASCAR’s TV presence. Fox had the opportunity to cover the most infamous memories of the sport. May it be the Intimidator’s heart-wrenching crash or Ricky Stenhouse Jr. punching Kyle Busch, they have shown the true emotions of the sport. While Amazon Prime pushes NASCAR into new territories, FOX’s established broadcast model continues to play a very important role in reaching fans across the world. But who would reach fans faster?
FOX vs Amazon Prime: Broadcasters bringing in numbers
The competition between FOX and Amazon Prime for NASCAR membership is intensifying, not just in terms of audience numbers, but also in broadcasting styles. FOX, celebrating its 25th consecutive season of NASCAR coverage in 2025, continues to rely on its seasoned broadcast team. The booth has featured veteran play-by-play announcers Mike Joy, alongside analysts Clint Bowyer and the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick. Larry McReynolds, two-time Daytona-winning crew chief, provides technical analysis while Jamie Little, Regan Smith, and Josh Sims handle pit road reporting. Good old times?
In contrast, Amazon Prime’s entry into NASCAR broadcasting brings a fresh perspective. Dale Earnhardt Junior opens the telecast with, “Where are we? Who are we? Why are we here?” – paying homage to Ken Squier’s iconic CBS introduction from the 1980s.
Earnhardt Junior elaborated on his broadcasting philosophy, stating, “Every time they came on air, I think that was CBS back in the day. That was a vantage point. They had the guys on top of the tower, on top of the suite’s highest point they could get. They’d have them outside and the track in the background. I thought, ‘ man, this is so old school; this is gonna be so much fun.’” He intended to capture the essence of classic NASCAR broadcasts, providing viewers with a sense of familiarity and authenticity. And it looks like he got what he was seeking.
Media critic Jordan Bianchi praised this approach, noting, “What struck me was that you guys didn’t try to reinvent the wheel—you fine-tuned it.” This sentiment reflects a broad trend in NASCAR broadcasting, where networks are recognizing the value of traditional storytelling techniques. As Ken Squier once said, “You’re not just here to report the race—you’re there to illuminate it.”
And with the numbers clocking in, it seems Amazon Prime could take NASCAR viewership to new heights. Do you think Dale Jr. and co. outdid FOX? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Amazon Prime Breathes New Life Into NASCAR as They Flip the Script With Viewership Numbers appeared first on EssentiallySports.
