TNT Sports was reportedly “bringing in a tech crew of 260 people, along with a 20-person production staff and 10 announcers.” This was part of a gigantic effort for NASCAR’s new media partner ahead of the grand Chicago Street Race, but for naught. The iconic road course event first kicked off in 2023 when Shane van Gisbergen stunned the sport with his Cup Series debut trophy. But as the Kiwi speedster oozed gold again two years later, fans were appalled that they could not enjoy it properly.

Like Amazon Prime, TNT Sports entered NASCAR through the $7.7 billion media rights deal signed in 2023. But that may have been the only similarity between the two giants. Let alone matching up to Prime’s performance, TNT ended up leaving an unpleasant aftertaste in fans’ mouths.

NASCAR whips up another storm of criticism

Remember FOX Sports’ tenure? Of course, you do; the media giant has been in NASCAR for ages. But the interminable length of its tenure could not make up for its faults, even in 2025. Ranging from patchy camera work that missed crucial race angles to broadcasters’ commentary in a misstep, the complaints about FOX Sports were plenty. That is why Amazon Prime’s appearance was like a breath of fresh air.

Between the Coca-Cola 600 and the Great American Getaway 400, Amazon dazzled fans with innovative features like a double-box commercial format and solid post-race coverage. However, that sweet time swiftly ended for fans as they now face TNT Sports’ questionable work. Shane Van Gisbergen fetched an iconic victory at Chicago, narrowly missing NASCAR’s caution flag for Cody Ware and beating Ty Gibbs and Tyler Reddick. But TNT Sports failed to portray those final laps clearly.

What is more? The interruption of commercial breaks and inconsistent commentary made things worse. NASCAR expert Eric Estepp lamented in an X post: “TNT gave me FOX vibes today. Lot of errant camera shots. Poor ambient audio quality. Commentary waited until the last 15 laps to bring the energy… and then we go to commercial immediately after the finish.” While this is pretty shocking from TNT, FOX has probably done worse in 2025.

FOX held the broadcast rights for the initial stretch of Cup Series races, and Talladega was where they irked fans the most. FOX decided to cut to commercials with 10 laps to go while Ryan Preece and Austin Cindric were battling for the lead. This left many perplexed and up in arms that FOX could choose not to show the last few laps at a superspeedway of all places! However, FOX was coming off a string of such mishaps, but TNT? They hadn’t been in the sport for over a decade before this season!

TNT last appeared for a NASCAR race in 2014, and they had never been tasked to broadcast anything quite like the Chicago Street Race. Having 12 turns across the 2.2-mile circuit, TNT had a herculean task. There were 50 cameras positioned in various ways, including on cranes and inside cars. They also included 10 robotic cameras, a helicopter, a drone, and a Goodyear Blimp for aerial shots.

John O’Connor, TNT vice president and executive producer, explained the efforts: “Our director, Steve Fiorello, is phenomenal in the prep work for each track: camera positions, blind spots…The challenges are, can we make the viewers feel what the drivers are feeling? Can we get close enough in these areas and these corners, these blind turns with these cameras to make it feel like what the drivers are seeing and feeling?”

Despite this willingness to elevate the experience, TNT could not do it. Loud calls of criticism rang out in the NASCAR community.

Fans again droop in disappointment

Well, that was the unfortunate situation at the beginning of the year. FOX Sports received its usual share of backlash after failing to cover the finishes in Daytona, Phoenix, and other races. Now, TNT Sports is on board the hate train, as its commercial-laden, patchy coverage of the Chicago race enraged fans. One fan wrote, “TNT definitely deserves an F for camera work today.”

What is more? The broadcast team’s lack of energy was another issue, as Eric Estepp pointed out. Veterans Adam Alexander, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Steve Letarte could not be in sync with the broadcast. A fan wrote, “It was awful. Feel very uninformed as a viewer. I’m being told what happened rather than seeing it for myself.” Somebody else issued a clear-cut verdict about NASCAR’s new media partner. They wrote, “TNT broadcast sucked!”

TNT struck a more disappointing chord, especially after Amazon Prime’s stellar performance. Its first race at EchoPark Speedway last weekend drew criticism. Inconsistent audio mixing and awkward camera angles elicited voices of protest. Those voices grew louder in Chicago, as there was more disappointment. Another fan wrote, “@tntsports is an epic let down after @SportsonPrime.” People have preferred NBC Sports over FOX Sports in the past years. Hence, one fan demanded the best possible combination: “Absolutely disgusting. Give all the races to Prime and NBC.”

Clearly, NASCAR’s media partner could not create a good impact among fans. Let us see if TNT can mend its problems in the upcoming races.