NASCAR’s strategic push into Mexico was always about broadening the sport’s footprint beyond its traditional U.S. base, and fans have shown they’re willing to embrace innovations in how they consume races. Early feedback on Amazon Prime Video’s debut NASCAR broadcasts (e.g., the Coca-Cola 600) was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the crisp production, immersive features like the Burn Bar, and extended post-race analysis that only streaming can deliver. Audience data confirm younger demographics are tuning in at higher rates on Prime than on linear TV, underscoring that a shift to digital platforms can engage new fan segments even as NASCAR balances legacy viewers.
On-site in Mexico City, NASCAR executive Ben Kennedy captured that dual momentum. “This was a historic moment for our sport, for Mexico, and for the global motorsports community,” he said immediately after Shane van Gisbergen’s win. He added, “One of the coolest parts about this weekend was seeing the reaction of the fans. I had the opportunity to go into the stands a few times, the energy and the passion of the fans here is unmatched.”
Leadership had long eyed Mexico for growth, but faced hurdles until 2025. Kennedy was candid about attendance demographics. Kennedy said, “90% of those in attendance were from Mexico, with 44% from Mexico City,” highlighting the depth of local engagement without disclosing absolute headcounts. He also noted how many new fans emerged over the weekend. “Most important, there were ‘a lot of new fans coming out of this weekend.’” Those figures validate the gamble of taking the Cup Series points race beyond U.S. borders for the first time since 1958 and parallel the streaming shift’s intent to win over fresh audiences digitally. By marrying on-site enthusiasm with innovative digital coverage, NASCAR is signaling that it can strike a good balance in honoring its roots and evolving viewing access.
Beyond on-site attendance, the Mexico City race offered a rare live head-to-head metric of American viewership across top motorsports. Last weekend, the Cup race on Amazon Prime Video drew approximately 2.097 million U.S. viewers, surpassing Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix (1.9 million race-only; 1.335 million full-window on ABC) and comfortably leading over IndyCar on Fox (1.012 million), NASCAR Xfinity on The CW (868,000), and ARCA on FS1 (102,000). This direct comparison, made possible by concurrent or closely scheduled broadcasts, demonstrates that the streaming Cup event not only held its own but also outperformed established legacy series on linear TV. Those figures also confirm that Prime’s distribution can compete with, and in this case outshine, traditional broadcast partners.
Motorsports viewership last weekend in the U.S.:
1) NASCAR Cup (Prime Video): 2.097 million viewers
2) Formula 1 (ABC): 1.9 million race-only; 1.335 million full-window
3) IndyCar (Fox): 1.012 million
4) NASCAR Xfinity (The CW): 868,000
5) ARCA (FS1): 102,000 pic.twitter.com/rb9PVjIzaZ
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) June 17, 2025
Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal highlighted that the Mexico City Cup broadcast on Prime led all U.S. motorsports for that weekend. Industry sources note that even among key demographics, Prime Video’s NASCAR races are attracting younger viewers than traditional TV broadcasts. For instance, Prime’s inaugural Coca-Cola 600 stream averaged about 2.72 million viewers with an average age of around 55.8 years, roughly six years younger than linear-TV Cup audiences. NASCAR executives acknowledge that streaming exclusivity poses risks but point to the upside: engaging cord-cutters and building long-term digital audiences. In that context, outperforming F1 and IndyCar in U.S. ratings represents a tangible milestone in the streaming shift narrative.
One fan summed it up succinctly on a Reddit post. post. “That seems like a REALLY good number. Only beaten by the Coke 600, a crown jewel, on Prime.” This perspective ties the Mexico’s viewership success to broader acceptance of streaming. If only the most prestigious event (Coca-Cola 600) draws more, surpassing legacy broadcasts, it signals momentum for the platform.
Fans rally behind NASCAR’s Prime Video attempts
Several fans pointed to the comparison with the Coca-Cola 600, which in 2025 averaged about 2.6 million viewers on Prime Video, down from roughly 3.2 million on Fox the prior year but still a healthy figure for a first-time exclusive stream. That context validates the viewpoint that Mexico’s 2.097 million is strong: it trails only NASCAR’s marquee crown jewel on a digital platform. The fact that fans readily reference these Nielsen metrics indicates growing literacy in streaming-era ratings and comfort in gauging success beyond traditional network numbers.
Another fan remarked, “I love having a long post-race. Makes up for just about all the annoyingness of having it streaming.” Indeed, data show Prime’s post-race studio show for the Mexico City event drew over 1.07 million viewers, marking the highest post-race audience for Prime to date. By offering extended coverage, including deeper analysis, driver interviews, and interactive elements, Prime addresses a common streaming criticism (lack of on-demand recaps) and reinforces engagement. NASCAR on Prime has explicitly leaned into post-race content as a retention tool, and fan approval reflects that strategy’s effectiveness.
“The youngest audience yet is fantastic. Prime’s coverage is working exactly as intended. For next season, all they need to do is pair them up with a cable/OTA partner to reel the olds back in, and then we’re basically all set.” Now that is a huge undertaking. If this current trend continues, we might see more races being shifted to Prime Video. A partnership cannot be ruled out between linear TV networks and streaming giants, but if Prime subscription gets a bump with the NASCAR partnership, do they need the traditional broadcasters?
In response to “I love this move to PrimEe along with the new NASCAR game coming out, done by a competent team who has been doing this shit since the 90s,” it’s worth noting that iRacing recently secured the exclusive NASCAR console license and is developing “NASCAR 25.” FOX hasn’t levelled up their game in terms of delivering a new broadcasting experience. The same old camera angles, abrupt commercial breaks and stagnancy allowed the streaming networks to make their space. It is evident, Prime Video is in NASCAR for the long run. Look at the efforts they are putting in with documentary projects and more content that they deliver apart from just broadcasting races.
Finally, a fan quipped, “Going to upset all the Twitter profiles with sunglasses who posted they can’t and won’t watch on Prime.” There was a section of fans who turned a blind eye to this new shift, citing they won’t switch to Prime Video. But now that racing product and broadcasting is headed in the right direction, it seems everyone has fallen in line. Although the five-race stint is about to conclude with the race in Pocono, this new shift will leave a lasting impact on the viewers.
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