NASCAR ends Prime run at Pocono with 1.89M viewers, down 22% from last year’s USA Network race

Last Sunday's Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway, which aired on Amazon Prime Video, attracted 1.87 million viewers, a 22 percent decline from the 2.4 million who watched last year's USA Network telecast of this race.

This transition to streaming is both groundbreaking and creates hurdles for NASCAR and Amazon, who are in their inaugural season in a landmark agreement of live Cup Series broadcasts that began earlier this year.

Early streaming experiment reveals both promise and challenges

New production touches like HDR video, drone shots, and side-by-side commercials -- similar to those featured in Amazon's Thursday Night Football presentation -- made their streaming debut during the Amazon broadcast, as did another TNF aspect with frequent commercial breaks.

These additions, along with the overall analytics integration, have been lauded by critics, but the modest viewership of 1.87 million is a reminder that it remains a while before live sports streaming reaches the same kind of audience scale inherent in traditional cable. But the decline is emblematic of a changing time for audiences consuming sports content and not necessarily showing up as well for major network broadcasts , and even some cable races.

This Pocono race was the 17th of the 2025 Cup Series and the last of the first In-Season Challenge seeding races. Chase Briscoe led the way on track, with booth announcers Adam Alexander, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Steve Letarte bringing it to the viewers at home, while Kim Coon, Marty Snider, and Trevor Bayne manned the pit road. Their chemistry was often talked about, though such was the nature of the streaming experience, with its questions of reach contrasted against the comfort of cable television.

Audience numbers reflect a bigger transition in sports broadcasting

The Pocono race last summer was also shown on USA Network, still a staple through most cable providers, and drew approximately 2.4 million viewers. And it gave it broader exposure than a traditional streaming show might often receive, especially with older and less streaming-savvy demographics who might not be rushing to sign up for streaming packages. The 22% drop in viewers says more about distribution changes than declining interest.

It still puts pressure on NASCAR and Amazon to find that sweet spot of improving production at the expense of accessibility.Also Read: NASCAR Rumors: Corey Heim emerges as frontrunner for 23XI Racing’s No. 35 Toyota seatThe seven-race deal for the 2025 season included exclusive coverage of practice, qualifying, and the Budweiser Shootout kicks off with the Coca-Cola 600. The Prime deal fits with larger trends around digital streaming, but at least based on Pocono, the number still needs some work. To extend the reach even further, promotional efforts may increase and provide hybrid access, on cable or broadcast over-the-air, with streaming could be part of the mix.