The Prime Video NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race from Mexico City wasn’t just a win for Shane van Gisbergen. It was a major milestone for live sports on streaming. The road-course event, held at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, drew an average of 2.10 million viewers, according to Nielsen. That performance topped both IndyCar (1.20M) and Formula 1 (1.57M) races airing on traditional broadcast networks the same day. The only event that pulled in more viewers on linear TV was the final round of the U.S. Open.
Younger Viewers Fuel Streaming Growth
This was the fourth race in Prime Video’s inaugural five-event NASCAR season, and it attracted the youngest audience for any Cup Series race since 2017. The race delivered a median viewer age of 56.0, significantly younger than the 62.8 median age of Cup races airing on cable or network TV this year.
Among younger demographics, the numbers were even more impressive. Viewership in the coveted P18-34 demo hit 243,000, marking a +7% increase over last year’s comparable event. Prime Video also averaged 629,000 viewers in the P18-49 group, and 788,000 viewers in the P25-54 demo. Compared to a similar stretch of NASCAR events in 2024, those numbers are up by +24%, +12%, and +21%, respectively.
Post-Race Show Hits Season High
Fans didn’t tune out after the checkered flag, either. The post-race edition of NASCAR Live from Victory Lane on Prime Video averaged 1.07 million viewers, its highest audience of the season. Viewers were treated to highlights, analysis, and a celebratory moment as Shane van Gisbergen launched a soccer ball into the stands after his win.
Even the pre-race coverage on Prime Video saw solid traction, pulling in 553,000 viewers, showing that fans are fully engaging with the full event package, not just the race itself.
Streaming Is Driving NASCAR’s Future
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the premier sanctioning body for stock car racing in the United States and one of the most popular motorsports organizations in the world. Founded in 1948, NASCAR runs over 1,500 races each year across more than 100 tracks in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Europe. Known for its thrilling oval, road, and street course racing, NASCAR includes the top-tier Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Truck Series. With deep roots tracing back to moonshine runners in the American South, NASCAR has grown into a massive spectator sport that continues to evolve, especially with the rise of streaming platforms like Prime Video.
With just one race left in Prime Video’s five-race schedule, it’s clear that streaming is becoming a serious force in live sports, particularly with younger fans. Prime Video is not only drawing big numbers but doing so while shifting the NASCAR audience toward a younger, more digitally native demographic.