NASCAR Veteran Turns His Back on Core Fans in Fiery Rant

For decades, NASCAR fans have grown accustomed to flipping through cable channels on Sunday afternoons. They settle into familiar routines as networks like FOX and NBC bring them the roar of engines and the spectacle of American stock car racing. However, in 2025, that viewing tradition began to shift as NASCAR entered a new chapter in its media strategy, marked by a bold partnership with Amazon Prime Video. As part of its ever-evolving broadcast deal, NASCAR teamed up with the streaming giant to air five races on Prime this season, an effort aimed at modernizing its outreach and expanding digital presence. So far, the results have sparked both praise and protest.

In the first two races streamed on Prime, at Charlotte and Nashville, fans saw a refreshingly polished broadcast. With side-by-side ads over full-fledged cuts from racing action, post-race coverage that did not cut out mid-sentence, and an interface that offered seamless viewing across devices, many viewers celebrated the elevated presentation.

The broadcast team, consisting of Adam Alexander, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Steve Letarte, has had extensive knowledge of commentary and reporting from their earlier experiences in Xfinity Series play-by-play voices and the latter two as the best analyst pairing in NASCAR from their years at NBC, respectively. But alongside the praise, a vocal faction of traditionalists has erupted in frustration, and one NASCAR veteran is having none of it.

Streaming shift sparks backlash as Amazon Prime races into NASCAR

Complaints over Amazon Prime’s coverage have ranged from confusion over app navigation to accusations of corporate greed to a nostalgic yearning for cable TV’s simplicity. Despite a 30-day free trial and broader device access, critics have flooded social media, seeing the shift as a betrayal of longtime fans. This generational divide seems to have boiled over online.

Jeff Gluck, a reporter at The Athletic, known for his outspoken nature and long-standing presence in the sport, made a blunt post on X, aimed at those criticizing the move to Amazon Prime. “The people in my mentions bitching about races on Prime are so exhausting. OH NO, possibly the best NASCAR TV coverage ever is on a streaming service with a free 30-day trial! But I wanted to watch more ads and have no post-race and pay for my Amazon shipping. You b——s!” wrote Gluck.

Seeing that NASCAR’s core audiences mostly include Americans aged 50-60 years, the decline might be due to the difficulty in accessing the app for many unaware of the changing media and platform dynamics. But, to make it easier, the co-host for the pre- and post-race interview, Danielle Trotta, posted a picture on X, helping people navigate the interface. “ICYMI  Getting asked about re-watching our Prime post race show from last night. If you click on Charlotte broadcast you’ll see this page… from there u can click on any part of the broadcast u wanna see….pre race & post race and obviously the race itself. @SportsonPrime #NASCAR,” wrote Danielle, as she was praised by many fans, both for the help and her post-race coverage.

Despite many complaining about Amazon Prime’s intrusion into NASCAR’s cable tradition, the statistics of viewership depict another story altogether. According to Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel measurement, for the Memorial Day Weekend’s annual “Biggest Day in Racing”, Prime Video’s first-ever NASCAR race attracted more viewers under the age of 55 than any non-broadcast NASCAR Cup Series event since 2022. In addition, Prime Video’s audience featured a median age of 55.8 years, which is more than 6 years younger than the average median age of viewers watching NASCAR Cup Series races.

Therefore, the shift is visible, but some people just do not want to accept it. According to Nielsen, the Coca-Cola 600 on Prime Video averaged 2.72 million viewers two weeks back, ranking it as the 3rd most-watched NASCAR Cup Series non-broadcast event of the year. According to Austin Karp, reporter at Sports Business Journal, there was a slight decline from last year’s FOX Broadcast, which garnered 3.1 million viewers, which might be expected when moving from broadcast television to a paid streaming service, but still a healthy number on board considering they were able to target a significantly younger audience.

But, even after Prime covering its 2nd race of the season, the hate hasn’t stopped, as viewers still feel that paying for a subscription is not worth the hassle. But, Prime Video has been relentlessly working for better coverage and plans for its viewers, as many believe that it should also extend beyond the 5-race contract. Will the hate pile up with time, or will NASCAR fans learn to catch up with tech-savvy fans in this newly evolving world of NASCAR?

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How Amazon Prime is leaving other broadcasts in the dust

Amazon Prime may only be 2 races into its NASCAR broadcasting journey, but it’s already rewriting the rulebook for race coverage. With the Nashville Cup Series race following a strong debut at the Coca-Cola 600, Prime has made a compelling case for what modern NASCAR coverage should look like. In a landscape where fans are often skeptical of streaming services disrupting tradition, Prime has delivered a refreshingly focused product. Reacting to Prime Video’s success at Charlotte Dale Jr. mentioned the proud moment. “I’m thankful that we hit the ground with such momentum. We had a great show, so we’re further ahead after the first show than I expected,” he said. “Hopefully, we can continue to improve week after week.”

The overall praise for Prime comes with an implicit indictment of NASCAR’s long-time broadcast partner, FOX. Once a beacon of innovative coverage, when it entered the sport with the 2001 Daytona 500, FOX has in recent years fallen far from its early glory. NBC, which takes over the latter half of the season, has often outshone FOX with its cleaner broadcasts and sharper production.

Even the recent addition of Kevin Harvick to FOX’s booth cannot rescue the network from its decline, and the contrast with Amazon’s polished policy deepens the divide. The level of production coherence, along with better graphics, uninterrupted green-flag action, and a refusal to cut to advertisements with less than 10 laps to go, marks a clear step up in quality.

Yet the emergence of Amazon also reveals a cultural divide in NASCAR’s fan base, a friction between modern media habits and nostalgic viewing preferences. NASCAR’s decision to fold Amazon into its new media rights deal shows a strategic push toward long-term relevance with a younger audience. And despite the fan backlash on streaming services, they are the future, and 15-20 years down the line, it’s more likely than ever that NASCAR could fully commit to the cause.