“FOX getting cooked again”: Fans react as NASCAR Executive comments on Prime viewership prediction

Fans have reacted strongly to the former NASCAR President and current commissioner recently commenting on the viewership predictions for the Coca-Cola 600, aired exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. He highlighted a pundit who had predicted 1.2 million average viewers but missed the mark.

Steve Phelps used this figure to emphasize that viewership was higher than expected, a positive indicator that the streaming service would be able to produce strong numbers for NASCAR events. The Coca-Cola 600 on Prime Video produced an average of 2.72 million viewers, a decline of 12.2% versus last year’s 3.1 million on the Fox channel.

This debut was exclusive for the streaming platform, with the median age of the audience being younger by six years, which suggests that Prime Video is helping NASCAR reach younger audiences. Adam Stern shared what Phelps said to CNBC:

".@StevePhelps: "There's a pundit who thought the numbers—and I won't say who it is because it's a current partner—their research person, thought Amazon Prime would do 1.2 million average viewers on for the Coke 600...So he missed by just a smidge." - @CNBC"

Many fans on X have now reacted to Phelps' comments, with one fan writing:

"Fox getting cooked again"

Another fan said:

"It was definitely that Fox guy lol"

A fan commented:

"If Fox put half the effort into broadcasting as they did insulting Prime maybe they wouldn’t need to do this" "Yeah it was definitely the dumbass at FOX," declared one fan.

Fans have previously criticized FOX for technical glitches, poor camera work, and inadequate graphics during past NASCAR events.

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Steve Phelps makes vision clear in first remarks as NASCAR commissioner

Steve Phelps, newly appointed as NASCAR’s first-ever commissioner, made his vision clear in his initial remarks by emphasizing unity and collaboration within the sport.

Speaking on the official NASCAR podcast "Hauler Talk", Phelps highlighted that NASCAR is strongest when all stakeholders—racetracks, teams, drivers, and the broader industry—work together as one cohesiveleague, similar to major sports leagues like the NFL and MLB.

"The more we act like a league, the better it’ll be for all stakeholders. Not just NASCAR the company, but NASCAR the sport because we are stronger together than we are apart. So, to me, that is the No. 1 thing in my job that is the most critical.” “The most important thing for us is the continued rush toward collaboration with our industry, and whether you’re talking about racetracks that we don’t own or you’re talking about teams or you’re talking about drivers, it is important that we come together as one," he added.

He believes that acting more like a league will benefit everyone involved and is the most critical part of his role, especially since NASCAR does not "own" itself as a single entity, which he sees as a competitive disadvantage that must be overcome through collaboration.

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Edited by Tushar Bahl