When NASCAR signed a new media rights deal, one of the most intriguing names was Amazon Prime. The streaming service would broadcast five NASCAR Cup Series races a year from 2025 to 2031. For the first time ever, a Cup race would be exclusive to streaming. Reactions were mixed at the time, but Amazon Prime has become increasingly popular with the NASCAR fandom.
According to an poll from The Athletic reporter Jeff Gluck on how his followers felt about Prime’s coverage this summer, 83% said they loved it and 13% said they liked it. Less than 4% said they disliked or hated it. And according to NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell, Prime wishes they had bought more races.
“We’ve got contractual obligations obviously, but what I can say — I don’t think I’m giving away any trade secrets — is if you talk to Prime, they wish they would have bought more,” O’Donnell said to Sports Business Journal when asked if there might be any talks before 2031 about Prime getting more races.
While more Cup Series races are not an option, there is one series that desperately needs a new broadcast partner: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
The Problems with Fox
While Prime seems to be the most popular broadcaster, the current Truck broadcasters, Fox, are the least popular. From commercial breaks to broadcast quality to questionable camera angles and booth talent, the longtime broadcaster has come under much scrutiny in recent years.
The worst of Fox is exemplified in their coverage of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The lowest lights in recent years have come in three races. First, Fox’s camera crew missed a flip from Jessica Friesen in the 2022 race at Knoxville. Second, play-by-play commentator Jamie Little forgot that the 2025 race at Rockingham Speedway was on the last lap. Third, during the 2025 race at Talladega Superspeedway, the booth gave an indifferent call to Gio Ruggerio’s first win and went to commercial during his burnout.
These are extreme examples, but poor commentary and camera angles have become the standard for the Truck Series. Given that this TV deal was worth over a billion dollars, this level of coverage is unacceptable. Fox will sometimes choose to not air practice and occasionally even qualifying. Rather than hiring a trained play-by-play announcer, like Rick Allen or Eric Brennan, Fox chooses to have Little, a pit reporter, call the races. Little is an incredible pit reporter, but has shown little improvement as a play-by-play commentator since her ARCA tenure in 2021.
NASCAR’s other feeder series, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, have benefited greatly from their partnership with the CW. The network does not air commercials in the final laps of races, broadcasts all on track time, and has an incredible booth. Watching an O’Reilly broadcast and a Truck broadcast is like night and day.
Why This Move Makes Sense
A broadcast partner that clearly cares, like the CW, has massively benefited the O’Reilly Series. There is no reason that the Truck Series should be stuck with a broadcaster that has made it incredibly clear they do not care. Top Fox talent has even gone as far as referring to people who criticize the broadcasts as “keyboard warriors“. Prime has made it clear they care, as they continued to improve in 2026 despite fans already being happy with their coverage.
While ratings may go slightly down at first, every major problem with Trucks would be fixed. If Prime had the Truck Series, every session would be promoted and the series would become one of the top priorities for them rather than an afterthought at Fox. Prime races are near-commercial free, so minimal on-track action would be missed. Things such as flips and burnouts from a first time winner would undoubtedly make the broadcast.
While unlikely to secure full time NOAPS commentator Adam Alexander, there is plenty of play-by-play talent Prime could hire. Eric Brennan has impressed in select Truck and ARCA opportunities. Brennan currently commentates the CARS Tour races and has shined there. If not Brennan, there is a strong veteran choice on the bench for motorsports. Rick Allen got his start in the Truck Series, and would be an experienced anchor in this new era. If neither come over, there are several other play-by-play commentators that could become great with Prime.
From veterans like Phil Parsons to a rotation of Cup drivers, there are plenty of options for color commentators. While not every commentator will be popular, they at least need to take it seriously. Occasional banter is fine, but commentators need to be serious when it matters the most. Prime has shown that that will be the case for any hire they make.
As any broadcaster does, Prime has made mistakes and likely would make mistakes as the Truck Series broadcasters. But with Prime, a mistake would be an exception. With Fox, mistakes seem to be the rule.
