As Streaming Surpasses TV, NASCAR Fans Owe It an Apology

Last year, Kevin Harvick was fired up. The 2014 Cup Series champion and now Fox Sports analyst couldn’t believe how difficult it was to find NASCAR content on streaming platforms. He fired off on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “Two weeks off and it took me 20 minutes to find qualifying. Don’t blame the drivers when no one’s watching because it’s buried on an app.” He wasn’t wrong about the frustration. With NBC covering the Olympics, NASCAR events got shoved onto apps and digital platforms. For old-school fans like Harvick, it felt like a slap in the face.

He’s a 60-time Cup race winner, and if he could navigate the maze, what chance did casual fans have? The reaction was loud. Many agreed. Why was something as central as Cup Series qualifying hidden in a maze of apps and digital menus? The fans echoed Harvick’s anger, and some blamed NASCAR’s tech push for hurting viewership. The message was clear: streaming wasn’t working. At least not yet. NASCAR was already facing enough pressure trying to keep up with F1’s slick media game. So when one of its most respected voices turned against the new direction, it stung.

However, NASCAR didn’t stop there, as it signed a seven-year media deal that included two new streaming partners: Amazon Prime and TNT. But that anger? That doubt? It now looks wildly premature. Because last weekend in Mexico City, Amazon Prime didn’t just show up—it delivered. Big. With its coverage of the Viva Mexico 250, Prime broke records, stunned critics, and flipped the narrative. And now, as we head to Pocono for the final Prime race of the year, NASCAR fans might need to eat their words.

NASCAR numbers on Prime Video prove the critics wrong!

This past Sunday, NASCAR made history in Mexico City. The Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez wasn’t just about racing on foreign soil. It was about a streaming service breaking the barrier. Amazon Prime Video pulled in 2.10 million viewers. Just second to the blockbuster weekend in Charlotte, where they drew 2.72 million. But the Mexico race also drew the youngest average audience the platform has seen for a Cup event since 2017. The critics, especially the traditional TV loyalists, weren’t expecting that.

For context, this race had more viewers than IndyCar and Formula 1 events took place on the same day. Additionally, the post-race show pulled more than a million viewers. Prime proved that it could not only handle NASCAR but innovate in ways traditional TV never dared. Despite political tensions between the U.S. and Mexico, Prime brought in viewers from a younger, more diverse pool. According to Nilsen, the 18-34 demographic jumped by 32%. The 25-54 crowd was up by 21%. In short, Prime didn’t just stream the race; it built the future audience NASCAR desperately needs.

That kind of growth shuts a lot of mouths. For weeks, the narrative was that Prime was dragging NASCAR down. After all, Michigan’s race pulled just 1.77 million, NASCAR’s lowest this year. Everyone rushed to blame streaming. But context matters. The Mexico City race showed that it wasn’t the platform, it was the moment. The event mattered. So did the presentation. And Prime nailed both. It’s not just about covering the sport; it’s also about how they analyze and try to engage fans.

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How did innovation help Prime bring new audiences?

Recently, Prime Video brought something no one else could: The Burn Bar. This AI-driven tool showed fans real-time fuel consumption, something NASCAR teams have kept secret for decades. It added drama. It added strategy. Most importantly, it added clarity. Fans didn’t have to guess anymore. They could see when a driver was going to run dry. It was the kind of data-rich, immersive viewing experience that modern fans crave. Former crew chief Steve Letarte helped develop the Burn Bar and summed it up perfectly.

“It’s the first true tool that is taking information off the car, making calculations, and then displaying to the fan a measurement that is being used in the garage,” he said. This isn’t a gimmick. It’s a leap forward. A rare case of tech actually improving the storytelling in sports. And fans noticed. However, let’s not pretend Prime did it all right from day one. Their first few races were a struggle. Michigan was rough. But sports media is shifting fast.

In May, streaming officially passed cable and broadcast as the most-watched platform in the U.S., per Nielsen. NASCAR got in early. And even if the start was rocky, Prime has now proven it was worth the risk. Their approach to a newer audience with multiple docuseries and web shows made it easy and accessible. It also reflected that they are truly loving the sport and trying to get more out of it. Especially if it means reaching Gen Z, who will rarely subscribe to cable.

So here we are, heading into Pocono. One more race on Prime before the baton passes to TNT. And all the early doubters might want to reconsider their stance. Prime just showed that streaming isn’t the problem, it’s the path forward. NASCAR didn’t bury the sport. It bet on the future. And with Mexico City as proof, it looks like the sport is finally catching up.