We’re about halfway through NASCAR’s first season with Amazon Prime Video, which gives us a good chance to check the data. 

Because there is nothing – and I mean nothing – NASCAR fans love more than to break down TV numbers. Seriously. I’ve never seen anything like it. 

I’m still thumbing through emails from fans who were pissed-off they couldn’t find the Coke 600 last month. Y’all love to talk about ratings, and I’m nothing if not a man of the people. 

Anyway, this is the first year – ever – that a NASCAR race(s) has been shown exclusively on a streaming service. Frankly, NASCAR is late to the party – somewhat. 

The NFL made the leap to Prime, and now Netflix, a few years back. MLB has Apple TV on Friday nights. The NBA will be on Peacock next season for the 14 people who watch it. 

Relax. It’s a joke! Not really, but whatever. 

Now, here’s the good news: Fans have praised Prime’s coverage through the first three races. Having Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the call certainly doesn’t hurt. Same with Carl Edwards. 

Yes, I realize some of y’all have been frustrated with Fox’s broadcast over the years. I ain’t touching that one, for obvious reasons. 

The bad news? Viewership has fallen by over 1 million since the inaugural race on Memorial Day weekend. 

That’s not ideal. But, it’s not all bad. 

Sunday’s race at Michigan – one of the best races of the season, by the way – averaged 1.7 million viewers. That number is obviously down from last season, when the race was on cable. 

That number probably won’t bother folks in the big glass building down the road from me. It shouldn’t, at least. Streaming vs. cable/network TV are two different beasts, especially in Year 1. 

However, the Coke 600 averaged 2.7 million viewers. Last week’s race at Nashville dropped to 2.06. And now, we’ve dipped into the 1s. 

So, should NASCAR be throwing a red flag here? It’s a good question, and one I’ve gotten from a couple of fans already. Shocking, I know. 

My answer? I don’t think so. Not yet, at least. Frankly, we probably won’t have an answer to that until this time next season. 

My guess is NASCAR is playing the long game here, and is willing to wait it out – and take some lumps – in the short term. They’re hoping the series follows the NFL’s model, which is pretty much all we have to go on right now. 

When the NFL moved its Thursday Night Football package exclusively to Prime in 2022, there was a massive drop-off in Year 1. 

And I mean MASSIVE:

Forty-one percent! That’s nearly half the audience, just … gone. Poof. Probably somewhere watching King of Queens reruns on TV Land while poor Al and Kirk call a miserable game. 

And that’s sort of what we see taking place right now with NASCAR, which was riding somewhat of a ratings-high when the series shifted from Fox and FS1, to Amazon, last month. 

Actually, it’s almost exactly what we’re seeing. 

NASCAR on FOX (mostly FS1) averaged 3.1 million viewers this spring. That number is down slightly from last season, but given the fact that only five of the 15 races were on Fox, it’s actually an impressive number. 

Obviously, that number has been slashed in half just three races into Prime’s coverage. Not great. But when you look at what the NFL did in Years 2 and 3 on Prime, I’d say it’s a solid road-map for NASCAR. 

The league averaged just under 10 million in Year 1, but that number jumped to 11.8 in Year 2 and 13.2 last season. Sure, the games have gotten better – which isn’t saying much given how bad they were – but it’s also a sign that fans finally gave in and made the leap. 

And that’s what NASCAR is banking on here. Well, that and the Gen-Zers coming aboard, too. While viewership has declined overall, don’t forget, the 18-34 demo has more than held its own compared to network and cable TV. 

You see? Massive growth in every demo … except the folks in the 55-and-older communities. 

Execs like that. Promoters like that. Streamers like that. It may annoy me and you, because I believe old folks built NASCAR, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see the vision. Because I get it. I may not agree with it, but I get it. 

So … no red flag just yet. 

Maybe just a few caution laps while they wait out the storm.