There’s no higher time than Prime time.
The Coca-Cola 600 at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway marks the inaugural NASCAR Cup Sequence race broadcast on Prime Video, welcoming a brand new period to the game as the published companion launches stock-car racing into the world of streaming.
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There shall be loads of new touches that include Prime Video’s introduction, as anticipated with any broadcast companion making its first foray right into a sport. There shall be, nonetheless, a substantial quantity of familiarity for longtime NASCAR followers, most notably the voices they may hear.
Play-by-play announcer Adam Alexander leads the sales space alongside NASCAR Corridor of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Steve Letarte, each of whom beforehand referred to as races collectively for NBC Sports activities. Main pre- and post-race protection shall be one other acquainted face in Danielle Trotta alongside Corridor of Famer Carl Edwards and Corey LaJoie, Cup Sequence driver and host of the “Stacking Pennies” podcast.
Moreover, 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne will be part of TV veterans Kim Coon and Marty Snider as pit street reporters.
So whereas Prime intends to depart its personal imprint on the NASCAR broadcasting house, the fundamentals are what it intends to nail out of the gate.
“The primary impression that was made to me by everybody with NASCAR on Prime and Prime Sports activities normally,” Alexander stated in a Monday teleconference, “is simply to return in and respect the muse that’s been laid within the sport of NASCAR. And I believe it will be straightforward for somebody, whenever you take a look at new companions coming into the game, that every little thing goes to be modified. And it jumped off the board to me straight away, the steadiness of recent but additionally the respect to traditions that we’re used to within the TV world and the way that matches up with NASCAR. That was one thing that was very enticing to me as we began having conversations about placing this deal collectively.
“So there’s been super dialogue about concepts. However the one factor that I might say is there’s a excessive degree of respect of the historical past of NASCAR and the best way this sport is introduced. And whereas there are super new concepts that can are available by know-how — and people are issues that you will note unfold this weekend — I might say that we’re not going to get too far-off from the muse of what makes a NASCAR broadcast what it’s.”
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That’s an intentional path all through the Prime Video crew. Senior Coordinating Producer Alex Strand has been related to bringing the Nationwide Soccer League and Premier League soccer to Prime Video, and comparable care with these sports activities grew to become classes discovered as Prime prepped for NASCAR. Add in a crown-jewel occasion just like the Coca-Cola 600 to debut its protection, and the stage is about for a right away splash.
“We will’t be extra excited to be beginning with a crown jewel,” Strand stated. “I believe that’s my massive type of headliner. We predict it’s an enormous duty. We actually take it severely, and we’re actually excited to carry that to followers. What we’ve seen once we’ve introduced Thursday Evening Soccer NFL into Prime, we noticed it once we introduced the English Premier League to clients all through the UK. We spent a variety of time ensuring that we’re delivering on type of a core expectation. You already know, there’s belief that viewers are placing in you to carry them the game that they love. We take that very severely.
“That doesn’t change if we’re beginning with a crown jewel or we’re beginning with a non-points race. We care about bringing the product to followers in a high quality method and entertaining them. We’re followers first, and we care simply as a lot concerning the experiences as followers do at house.”
Whereas Sunday will mark Prime’s debut, it’ll additionally mark an inauguration for Edwards and LaJoie of their respective roles. For a lot of the final decade, Edwards had been away from the game, uncertain it will welcome him again so heartily after he basically lower ties following his January 2017 retirement. It very a lot has, nonetheless — with honors reminiscent of Corridor-of-Fame enshrinement and acknowledgment as one in every of NASCAR’s 75 Biggest Drivers. Now comes the feelings of selecting up the microphone to broadcast the game after “falling in love with racing once more.”
“Man, I’m excited,” Edwards stated. “I believe I needs to be actually nervous, however I don’t know if I’m but. For me, it’s lots like going to my first Cup race. It’s like, man, I actually don’t know what to anticipate. I really feel like I’m form of ready, however I’m simply so grateful for this crew, to be with Steve and Dale and Corey and Danielle and Alex, all people — all these individuals now. It’s wild how a lot expertise is right here and represented by this Prime broadcast. And that half actually makes me really feel comfy. So I’m simply able to go have some enjoyable. I believe that is actually going to be cool.”
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And whereas streaming platforms are nonetheless pretty new to some, Edwards is assured NASCAR followers will shortly make their solution to the platform.
“I used to be on the cellphone with a farmer that owns some neighboring property to ours, and we’re speaking about different issues,” Edwards stated. “And he stated, ‘Hey, you’re doing a little type of TV factor!’ And I used to be pondering, , this man’s 85 years previous, and I’m gonna have to elucidate this to him. And I began, and he’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, I bought Prime! I’ll be watching.’ I used to be like, ‘Oh, OK! … I actually suppose that they’ve [Prime Video] paved the best way with the opposite sports activities that they’ve been part of, and I believe that’s going to transition nicely right here to NASCAR.”
As Letarte stated Monday, the important thing to nailing the published out of the gates is solely “don’t reinvent it.” That mindset permeates the sales space.
“Fundamentals win in every little thing, proper?” Alexander echoed. “Should you’ve bought a great elementary base, then you definitely’ve bought an actual alternative to achieve success. And I believe Steve touched on one thing, and it’s a philosophy that I’ve at all times carried anyplace I’ve been, no matter sport, no matter community, and that’s, individuals tune in to see the competitors.
“And that’s to not say that we don’t need to have enjoyable or we don’t need to be entertaining. We do, completely. However you’ll be able to’t get caught up in that and put your self in entrance of why individuals tuned in. And on Sunday night, individuals are going to observe NASCAR on Prime as a result of they need to see who wins the Coke 600. And whereas we’ll undergo the method of presenting that, I believe, basically, the strategy must be promoting the product that’s on the monitor and presenting that in a method that individuals at house will perceive.”
Protection of the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 kicks off at 6 p.m. ET Sunday on Prime Video, PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
