I'm excited for Dale Jr to be back in the broadcast booth…. I have prime; however, I'm not happy about this move. IIf it wasn't Dale Jr, then it would be tough for me to want to switch apps to get to the race.

We went from cable having too much power, now, we have too many apps to find the content we want to watch…

I'm looking forward to seeing how Jr does. Unfortunately, streaming is becoming more popular with the networks. BTW, hoping that the rain holds off Sunday night.

Friday, May 23

8 a.m., Dirt II: A Season With High Limit: Double Down (re-air), FS2

9 a.m., Dirt II: A Season With High Limit: Royal Flush (re-air), FS2

3:30 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Practice and Qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FS2

6 p.m., NASCAR Dirt Mods at Autodrome Granby, FloRacing

6 p.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FS1

8 p.m., Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour (re-air), FS1

8:30 p.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, FS1

Saturday, May 24

3:30 a.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2

5:30 a.m., Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour, FS2

6 a.m., NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1

11 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Practice and Qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway, The CW App

1:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Practice and Qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Prime Video

3:30 p.m., NASCAR Countdown Live, The CW 4:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: BetMGM 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, The CW

4:30 p.m., NASCAR Modifieds at Riverhead Raceway, FloRacing

6 p.m., NASCAR Weekly Racing at Berlin Raceway, FloRacing

6:30 p.m., NASCAR Weekly Racing at South Boston Speedway, FloRacing

TBD, ARCA Menards Series West: Colorado 150 at Colorado National Speedway, FloRacing

I believe that Kyle retires here.

News: Kyle Busch to return to Richard Childress Racing for the 2026 NASCAR season.

— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) May 24, 2025

https://insidepacksports.com/forums/8/topics/38328

Xfinity racing really is better than Cup series racing…

caryking said:

---

Xfinity racing really is better than Cup series racing…

---

At least you could watch it. One of NASCAR's Big 4 traditional races tonight and they've made it where most non-diehards are just going to find something else to watch instead of caring enough to pay extra just to watch something that is far from a life and death need to watch.

Also chose an app that no one's ever "had" to buy before to watch something special instead of one that more people already have - but I guess that's the whole idea of it.

All I know, is that I hope these 5 races are all scheduled in a row, because I don't plan to really care about following any of it until it comes back on TV again.

Looking forward to watching to see what Larson does in the 500 today.

Sunday, May 25

5 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Pre-Race Show: Charlotte, Prime Video

6 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Prime Video

11 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Post-Race Show, Charlotte, Prime Video

TBD, NASCAR Youth Series at Lincoln Speedway, FloRacing


Editor's note: 2025 NASCAR TV Schedule is updated weekly throughout the season

On the new edition of "the Needle," a look at the significance of today's Coca Cola 600 on Prime Video, the first non-NFL streaming sportscast tracked by Nielsen:

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2025/05/nascar-prime-video-debut-nielsen-ratings-measurement/

TheStorm said:

---

caryking said:

---

Xfinity racing really is better than Cup series racing…

---

At least you could watch it. One of NASCAR's Big 4 traditional races tonight and they've made it where most non-diehards are just going to find something else to watch instead of caring enough to pay extra just to watch something that is far from a life and death need to watch.

Also chose an app that no one's ever "had" to buy before to watch something special instead of one that more people already have - but I guess that's the whole idea of it.

All I know, is that I hope these 5 races are all scheduled in a row, because I don't plan to really care about following any of it until it comes back on TV again.

Looking forward to watching to see what Larson does in the 500 today.

---

Storm, it was on CW network. My standard YouTube TV had it on. Tonight, I'll be watching on Prime.

Well, that was a first…

TheStorm said:

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Well, that was a first…

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He was fastest on fast 12 day but crashed in practice and didn't make a qualifying run

And they actually started the race without starting the race and then were running already while on commercial break?

TheStorm said:

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And they actually started the race without starting the race and then were running already while on commercial break?

---

They have a set amount of pace laps they run. After that it's single file under caution. Then they go 3 x 3 for the green flag

Hopefully the rain stays away.

I don't know how your telecast in the Raleigh msrket went , but mine switched over to the UFLgame at whatever hour it was scheduled to start. I mean, that's hilarious, leave Indy with ~25 laps left for a soon to be defunct Semi-pro Football league?

TheStorm said:

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I don't know how your telecast in the Raleigh msrket went , but mine switched over to the UFLgame at whatever hour it was scheduled to start. I mean, that's hilarious, leave Indy with ~25 laps left for a soon to be defunct Semi-pro Football league?

---

Mine stayed until the last lap. Not sure if they showed Victory Lane or not.

Like perhaps no other sport, NASCAR is driven by sponsorships. And although the new television rights deal that includes a streaming platform like Amazon Prime Video for the first time may cause some concern for fans, the sponsors paying the bills are all for it.

NASCAR makes its Prime Video debut Sunday night with the running of one of the crown jewel events of the series, the Coca Cola-600 at Charlotte. It also marks the return of Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the broadcast booth after sitting out last season and working with NBC for several years. Earnhardt will announce the midseason packages for both Amazon and TNT.

While the racing series isn't close to its mid-2000s peak of popularity, it still draws consistently high numbers. However, even prominent teams and star drivers have struggled in recent years with sponsorships with everyone in sports and business tightening belt straps in the modern economy.

But with NASCAR taking a forward thinking step in inking a streaming deal with Amazon, it's provided a new lifeline for sponsors who see it as a positive move for the sport to reach consumers where they are. In an article at The Athletic by Jordan Bianchi, NASCAR team executives say the move to Amazon has been huge for increasing sponsorship deals, as has NASCAR's first points race in Mexico later this year and expanding into new markets.

"The marketing side of it is very bullish right now," said team owner Rick Ware, whose team signed a 12-race deal with Arby's earlier this year. "We're obviously one of the smaller teams and we're having dramatically more conversations than we typically have in the past. That doesn't mean that you close them all, but the interest is there."

Nearly every team owner or executive who spoke to The Athletic for this story expressed similar enthusiasm. Many said this was the most optimistic they've felt about sponsorship in some time, pointing to increased interested due to two main factors: A new media rights deal that notably includes Amazon Prime picking up five races the first time NASCAR has paired with a streaming service to carry Cup races and the inclusion on the schedule of the first international Cup points race since the 1950s.

"The marketers know that's the path of where audiences are going," 23XI Racing president Steve Lauletta said. "So this isn't a one-year light switch, it's going to be more of a dimmer to try to keep growing and follow the audience as it grows."

[…]

"Sponsors are very intrigued by Amazon," Richard Childress Racing president Mike Verlander said. "Now, we have no result back yet, so let's see what the result looks like. But you see what they did with the NFL. It's only grown. We expect the same.

"It's been a massive shift. You'll hear the naysayers about the unknowns of Amazon, but at the end of the day, I think it's an all-positive narrative because there's new players that are putting their stake into this. Now, is it tough because the avid fan has to now figure out where to find it? Yeah, but in time, everyone will fall in line and figure it out."

The sponsorship game has changed dramatically in NASCAR in recent times. Once upon a time teams were synonymous with one sponsor and one paint scheme (think Dale Earnhardt Sr. in his black Goodwrench Chevrolet or Jeff Gordon with his rainbow DuPont scheme). Now, teams split primary sponsors throughout the season. Even the NASCAR Cup series itself now shares sponsors with three "premier partners" in Coca-Cola, Busch Light, and Xfinity sharing duties once held by companies like Winston and Nextel.

NASCAR is far from the first sport to embrace streaming. And the percentage of the schedule on Amazon Prime Video is relatively small compared to the entire race calendar. But both inside and outside the sport it could be one of the most pivotal relationships between a sports league and a streamer that we've seen. If fans are able to stay engaged and find races while it also brings new money into the sport, it could be a big home run for America's top racing series.

https://awfulannouncing.com/racing/nascar-amazon-prime-video-deal-sponsors.html

So far… I'm good with the telecast.

Good commentators, good graphics, just very very good!

caryking said:

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Good commentators, good graphics, just very very good!

---

The commentators have all worked together before, so there is a chemistry.. Most of this crew has worked together. (Pit announcers etc.)

I forgot how long this race is lol. It's even longer in person. But good racing still.

Big win by Ross Chastain. Bryon lead over 280 laps but couldn't lead the last 8.

Overall I thought it was a good one. I was surprised about some drivers who didn't even challenge.

Glasswolf said:

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It's even longer in person.

---

Used to even make a mandatory trip out to the souvenir haulers in the middle of the race, just to break up the monotony. And keep in mind, that was when all was run entirely in the daylight.

Didn't see a lap of it this year, and don't feel that I really missed anything either.

Someone else told me that they moved the end of Indy over to FS1 when Fox instead switched over to that high-demand UFL game. Would have been nice for them to have announced something on the air at the time, but I guess they didn't want to embarrass themselves.

caryking said:

---

TheStorm said:

---

caryking said:

---

Xfinity racing really is better than Cup series racing…

---

At least you could watch it. One of NASCAR's Big 4 traditional races tonight and they've made it where most non-diehards are just going to find something else to watch instead of caring enough to pay extra just to watch something that is far from a life and death need to watch.

Also chose an app that no one's ever "had" to buy before to watch something special instead of one that more people already have - but I guess that's the whole idea of it.

All I know, is that I hope these 5 races are all scheduled in a row, because I don't plan to really care about following any of it until it comes back on TV again.

Looking forward to watching to see what Larson does in the 500 today.

---

Storm, it was on CW network. My standard YouTube TV had it on. Tonight, I'll be watching on Prime.

---

Yes, I watched some of the Xfinity race Saturday on CW as well. My standard Spectrum Silver had it on. I did not watch the 600 though, or sign up for Prime yesterday.

One can sign up for Prime I believe for a 30 day free trial. But yes, I can see how much of a pain it is.

TheStorm said:

---

caryking said:

---

TheStorm said:

---

caryking said:

---

Xfinity racing really is better than Cup series racing…

---

At least you could watch it. One of NASCAR's Big 4 traditional races tonight and they've made it where most non-diehards are just going to find something else to watch instead of caring enough to pay extra just to watch something that is far from a life and death need to watch.

Also chose an app that no one's ever "had" to buy before to watch something special instead of one that more people already have - but I guess that's the whole idea of it.

All I know, is that I hope these 5 races are all scheduled in a row, because I don't plan to really care about following any of it until it comes back on TV again.

Looking forward to watching to see what Larson does in the 500 today.

---

Storm, it was on CW network. My standard YouTube TV had it on. Tonight, I'll be watching on Prime.

---

Yes, I watched some of the Xfinity race Saturday on CW as well. My standard Spectrum Silver had it on. I did not watch the 600 though, or sign up for Prime yesterday.

---

I have Amazon prime. It certainly doesn't offer what it did years ago. I guess the free shipping is worth something. That said, Amazon's series content used to be Ad Free, now you to pay another tier to get things without ads…

TheStorm said:

---

Glasswolf said:

---

It's even longer in person.

---

Used to even make a mandatory trip out to the souvenir haulers in the middle of the race, just to break up the monotony. And keep in mind, that was when all was run entirely in the daylight.

Didn't see a lap of it this year, and don't feel that I really missed anything either.

Someone else told me that they moved the end of Indy over to FS1 when Fox instead switched over to that high-demand UFL game. Would have been nice for them to have announced something on the air at the time, but I guess they didn't want to embarrass themselves.

---

I have youtube tv and it showed and it showed the end of the race.

TheStorm said:

---

Glasswolf said:

---

It's even longer in person.

---

Used to even make a mandatory trip out to the souvenir haulers in the middle of the race, just to break up the monotony. And keep in mind, that was when all was run entirely in the daylight.

Didn't see a lap of it this year, and don't feel that I really missed anything either.

Someone else told me that they moved the end of Indy over to FS1 when Fox instead switched over to that high-demand UFL game. Would have been nice for them to have announced something on the air at the time, but I guess they didn't want to embarrass themselves.

---

It's hard to sit and watch the whole 400 laps. Sometimes I come down to the breeze way and listen to the race on my scanner. I also enjoy people watching...lol

Prime did an excellent job! The broadcast seemed to have a natural flow to it, unlike the seemingly rigidly scripted broadcasts done by others. Heard a couple of naughty words on radio communications that would have never made a mainstream broadcast. At one point in the pre-race show, they were showing a collage of scenes from past history races. One was Dick Trickle lighting a cigarette in his car during a caution. Never would have seen that on network TV. Enjoyable to see a broadcast sans the clowns Bowyer and Waltrips. Aside from the LeTarte clip with him talking to muppets, broadcast abandoned a lot of the juvenile, silly crap that you see especially on Fox.

Didn't realize just how long it's been.

After starting last (40th), Ross Chastain wins the Coca-Cola 600. He is the first driver to win from an official starting position of last since Bobby Allison at Richmond Fairgrounds in 1969.

The race saw 34 lead changes, the most in a Coca-Cola 600 since 2014 pic.twitter.com/qpJfPVKRlF

— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) May 26, 2025

Hearing early viewership for 1st-ever @NASCAR Cup Series race to exclusively stream (Coke 600, @PrimeVideo) got around 2.6 million viewers
2024, Fox, 3.1M, cut short by rain
2023, Fox, rainout Sunday
2022, Fox, 3.9M
2.6M right around what Cup Series cable TV races get

Hearing early viewership for 1st-ever @NASCAR Cup Series race to exclusively stream (Coke 600, @PrimeVideo) got around 2.6 million viewers

🔲 2024, Fox, 3.1M, cut short by rain
🔲 2023, Fox, rainout Sunday
🔲 2022, Fox, 3.9M

2.6M right around what Cup Series cable TV races get pic.twitter.com/XGc2BKHk0o

— Austin Karp (@AustinKarp) May 28, 2025

While down in viewership, Prime Video’s median age gap for Coke 600 will be around 6 years younger (56 vs. 62) compared to Cup Series on linear TV networks (a gap similar to Prime vs NFL on linear last season) https://t.co/flb73d1uyz

— Austin Karp (@AustinKarp) May 28, 2025