Until now, NASCAR's Cup Series races were broadcast exclusively on FOX and NBC. That is set to change from the 2025 season with TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video set to join the broadcasting giants as official partners.
For the past decade, the US-based FOX and NBC have been the primary broadcast partners for fans to tune in to Cup Series races. The monopoly of the two firms meant restricted access to live events for several fans across different regions. With the 10-year deal between FOX/NBC and NASCAR coming to an end in 2024, the sanctioning body was on the lookout for additional partners to increase the sport's reach.
As a result, NASCAR has managed to strike a deal with TNT Sports and Amazon Prime Video to join as new broadcasting partners for Cup Series races from 2025 onwards. Both platforms have secured a seven-year media rights deal worth $7.7 billion.
Adam Alexander is set to join TNT and Amazon as the lead announcer, while NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. will act as a driver analyst starting in 2025. Joining them will be former crew chief Steve Letarte. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick and Leigh Diffey are set to stay in the FOX Sports and NBC booth respectively.
As for the coverage part, Amazon Prime Video is set to take over from FOX Sports in May from the iconic Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, while TNT will begin covering the motorsport from the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in June 2025.
With both platforms having more reach when compared to existing platforms, NASCAR will likely see a surge in the audience.
"Exciting to see the innovation that Prime Video is going to bring" - NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhart on being a part of Amazon
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is set join Amazon Prime Video as an analyst for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series. The Hall of Famer expressed his feelings during the press announcement a few months back.
"I’m honored to be a part of Prime Video’s entrance into NASCAR. It is an exciting opportunity to have the chance to give our NASCAR fan base yet another way to watch the sport. It will be exciting to see the innovation that Prime Video is going to bring to our sport and the fans,” Dale Jr. said.
This will allow the existing Prime members and NASCAR fans in the US to tune in to live races from any device such as smartphones, tablets, game consoles, and connected TVs. All they will need is the Amazon Video app installed on their device/s.