Motorsports
Dale Earnhardt Jr. says NASCAR transition to streaming will be seamless
Beginning with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Motor Speedway on May 25, five NASCAR Cup Series races will be shown exclusively on a streaming service for the first time in NASCAR history. Prime Video will broadcast the Coca-Cola 600, Nashville, Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono in a stretch of races from May 25 to […]

Beginning with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Motor Speedway on May 25, five NASCAR Cup Series races will be shown exclusively on a streaming service for the first time in NASCAR history.
Prime Video will broadcast the Coca-Cola 600, Nashville, Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono in a stretch of races from May 25 to June 22.
Joining lap-by-lap announcer Adam Alexander and former crew chief Steve Letarte in the broadcast booth for Prime Video’s coverage will be NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., who returns to the booth after a one-year absence.
Earnhardt Jr. was a color commentator for NBC from 2018-23, and joins both Prime Video and Turner Sports for a total of 10 races this season.
As fans prepare to switch over to Prime Video to watch Cup Series racing, Earnhardt Jr. expects the transition to be a relatively easy one.
“I don’t know that it’s going to be that big of a transition (for fans),” Earnhardt Jr. said in a virtual news conference on Wednesday. “It’ll probably happen pretty seamlessly and quick.”
In 2022, Prime Video became the exclusive home of “Thursday Night Football.” Earnhardt Jr. says the “TNF” broadcasts are a good representation of what fans can expect from the streaming service’s maiden voyage of NASCAR coverage.
“I would say you can look at the ‘Thursday Night Football’ coverage, and all the bells and whistles,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “That would be a good way to look at how Amazon’s race coverage might look and how it might differ somewhat.”
“At the same time, there will be a lot of things that are very traditional – a three-man booth, the faces you may see. There will be some things that will be expected, but there will be some new technology to show some data and information for our fans that are watching.”
In a similar fashion to how the CW covered the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs in anticipation of every Xfinity Series race being televised on the CW in 2025, Prime Video has given fans a similar opportunity to get familiar with the service. Aside from the Clash, Daytona 500 and the upcoming All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro, Prime Video has been the carrier for Cup Series practice and qualifying through the first 12 races while using Fox Sports’ broadcast talent and production.
Prime Video will continue to cover practice and qualifying for the Cup Series during its five-race stretch of races.
“I’m excited about (the broadcast),” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I think all of the networks push each other to put good products out on Sunday. Amazon will bring some really cool ideas and ways of approaching the sport that will be better. I’m grateful to be a part of that team.”
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.