“This isn’t that bad”: Fans react as Prime’s viewership numbers emerge for NASCAR’s outing at Michigan

NASCAR fans have had various reactions to the newly revealed viewership numbers for the Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway. The race received 1.77 million viewers on Amazon Prime Video, and the post-race show received 964,000 viewers over a 52-minute span.

The Coca-Cola 600 was the first Cup Series race on Prime Video and averaged between 2.6 and 2.72 million viewers. There was a drop of about 12-16% from the previous year’s broadcast TV numbers, but it was considered strong for a streaming-exclusive event. It had even surpassed average cable race viewership. The Nashville race on Prime drew 2.06 million viewers, which was 33.6% of the previous year’s NBC broadcast.

Adam Stern revealed the viewership numbers on X:

".@PrimeVideo got 1.77 million viewers for Sunday's @FireKeepers Casino 400 @MISpeedway got 2.111 million viewers. Sunday's post-race show got 964,000 viewers over 52 minutes."

Fans have reacted positively to the viewership numbers, considering them to be good numbers for a streaming-exclusive race. One said:

"Really this isn’t that bad"

Luke

@xLukeSmithx

LINK

Really this isn’t that bad

Another fan penned on X:

"another tremendous number ! Prime is getting their ROU in spades"

Rob

@robelliott6

LINK

another tremendous number ! Prime is getting their ROU in spades

"but no, please, keep telling the world about what awful people your grandparents are for--let me check my notes... not wanting to learn how to stream or pay to stream," a fan penned.

Meanwhile, some saw the low viewership numbers as a bad sign for the sport.

"I hope they don't see this as a sign to go back to fox because that sh*t sucks," a fan said.

"Yikes. The @PrimeVideo decline continues," another penned.

Starting in 2025, NASCAR entered a landmark seven-year media rights agreement that includes Amazon Prime Video as a broadcast partner for the NASCAR Cup Series. This move marks a significant shift for the sport as it extends beyond traditional media to align more with younger audiences. Prime Video had started its five-race run from the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, then it went on to Nashville and Michigan. The races left on the schedule are Mexico City and Pocono.

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NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin owns up to his pit road mistake and lauds JGR crew for preventing a penalty

Denny Hamlin secured his third NASCAR Cup Series win of the 2025 season at Michigan International Speedway, but the victory nearly slipped away due to a pit road mistake. During his final pit stop, he started his car too early and almost dragged the fuel can out of his pit box—a move that would have resulted in a costly pass-through penalty.

Fortunately, Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 crew, particularly a team member named Dylan, intervened just in time to prevent the penalty, allowing Hamlin to stay in contention. Hamlin later acknowledged his error and praised his crew for their quick thinking, stating:

"I have three points of reference to leave. I either have a crew chief that says go. I have a fuel man that gives me the nod or Dylan that's giving me the, you know, you can go. I chose not to listen to any of them and just took off. Fortunately, they had my back there and kind of covered up one of the mistakes that I made. So feels fantastic to be able to go to the racetrack knowing that you can win each and every week"

The race itself showcased Hamlin’s strategic prowess and the team’s excellent fuel management. After restarting around 11th place with 20 laps to go, Hamlin methodically worked his way through the field.