“Can amazon just buy out the rest 7 year contract already.” A NASCAR fan made this comment on a post about the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 race. In the past years, FOX Sports has had no dearth of scathing criticism. The 2024 Cup Series season witnessed several mishaps like missed camera angles during the Daytona 500 or spotty coverage of crucial race moments. All of those problems continued into 2025 – but things drastically changed once Amazon Prime took over.
At the end of 2023, NASCAR signed a $7.7 Billion media rights deal with Amazon, TNT, and Warner Brothers. 2025 was set to be these media giants’ debut, as TNT begins its coverage in Atlanta. But so far, Amazon is reigning supreme in fans’ regard.
Why NASCAR has a new fan-favorite
Ever since the sport debuted in 1949, NASCAR has been parochial in nature. Fans have deferred going beyond borders or leaving the base of the sport. Most diehard fans are over 50 or 60 years of age and still prefer traditional ways to preserve the old nostalgia. That is why Carl Edwards was skeptical about switching to a streaming service whereas most fans are used to television broadcasts. Yet Amazon Prime managed to be popular. It made the transition surprisingly seamless with free trial offers and user-friendly interfaces. Prime knew it had to learn, partnering with NBC Sports’ experienced production team and its technical expertise to maintain broadcast standards and innovation for streaming.
This eagerness to learn is what allowed Amazon Prime to set a standard. From the Coca-Cola 600 until last weekend’s Great American Getaway 400, the innovative features left fans wanting more. The on-screen ‘Burn Bar’ measured a team’s fuel consumption through the course of a race. Its simple and intuitive graphics allowed fans to immerse themselves in the race. Then, the dual-screen “double-box” format during green-flag racing minimized interruption and maximized race-time engagement. The post-race coverage was the sweet cherry on top, with NASCAR Hall of Famer Carl Edwards, Corey LaJoie, and others breaking down the race in a depth fans do not usually get.
How Prime won over the NASCAR world and raised the bar for future broadcasts.https://t.co/q4ivyGWt4s
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) June 26, 2025
These are only some of the elements that convinced fans of Amazon Prime’s brilliance. Cup Series drivers themselves had no dearth of appreciation. Hendrick Motorsports star William Byron said, “I personally like the pre- and post-race show the most. Having a professional desk like that and having a chance to recap the race in a more relaxed setting just adds to the value and adds to the energy of the event. It just captures the sights and sounds.” Denny Hamlin, who won the Michigan race under Amazon’s cameras, also lauded the media giant. “They do a good job of telling the stories and getting you excited about strategy and showing how one driver may catch another.”
With these heaps of praise, the future also looks bright. Glimmers of optimism are visible for Amazon’s prospects.
Getting ready for an encore
Amazon Prime has clinched its first goal. That was achieving the approval of fans and drivers in its NASCAR debut. Now, however, the question remains as to how far this widespread appreciation would pull the streaming giant. Besides delivering to fans, Prime has also achieved a few goals for NASCAR as a sport. It has captured a younger demographic. The median age for a viewer of its five races was 56.1, nearly seven years younger than NASCAR audiences on linear networks in 2025 (62.8). Then, the five-race slate averaged 2.16 million viewers, on par with typical broadcasts on traditional cable networks. All these signs look good for a potential comeback in 2026.
Brian Herbst, NASCAR executive vice president and chief media and revenue officer, lauded Prime. “It was rewarding to see NASCAR’s fan base shift over to a new platform not only achieving the viewership levels that NASCAR delivers on cable TV today, but bringing in younger demos and new fans to our sport.” However, Alex Strand, Senior Coordinating Producer at Prime Video, said it’s too soon to say anything. He left an optimistic note though: “Keep coming. We want people to be consuming the Cup Series year-round… If we’ve gained any new viewers, we hope they stick around. The more people around, the better it is for the sport.”
This readiness to face the unexpected is the sign of a winner. With Amazon Prime’s soaring popularity, we might not have to wait long for its continued success.
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