In 2025, NASCAR wanted to go above and beyond with its broadcasts, striking a deal with media giants like Amazon Prime and Warner Bros. From Prime’s novel streaming options to TNT’s energetic coverage, the broadcast deal brought many exciting features for fans. However, the broadcast has generally been criticized by the sport’s fanbase due to multiple pitfalls.

Those blunders have been of all kinds, whether technological mishaps like missed on-track action or excessive commercials. And the fans have not only criticized the broadcast partners but also shown them the scope to do much more. In light of this, one NASCAR expert chose the past as a reference point to point out the stark contrast in race coverage then and now.

NASCAR’s broadcast not ‘intelligent’ anymore?

In a recent post on X, journalist Steven Taranto posted a clip from the 2001 Cup Series finale at New Hampshire.

“During the 2001 season finale at New Hampshire, attention was paid to the three-way fight for second in the Winston Cup standings between Tony Stewart, Ricky Rudd & Sterling Marlin. On the broadcast, the importance was illustrated with the difference in pay between 2nd and 4th.”

“And again those big bucks! Separating those positions at the end of the day. $546,000 between second and fourth. It’s important!” one broadcaster said in the video.

An expert responded to Taranto’s tweet, who could not help but highlight the contrast with today’s broadcast.

“This isn’t a criticism, but there is a stark difference between how NASCAR was presented 20 years ago vs. now. I think we don’t talk to our fans like we’re intelligent anymore, and we also don’t dive into the “little things” like this anymore.”

Currently, NASCAR employs high-tech tools in its broadcasts, a big leap from the situation two decades ago. Its SMT (Sportsmedia Technology) offers off-camera, interactive touchscreens providing an extensive library of current and historical data, real-time race statistics, and in-depth analysis tools. And yet fans are dissatisfied because of the most rudimentary blunders.

On top of that, the lack of intellectual stimulation is an added cause for unrest for experienced fans.

Individual race purses are not disclosed in the present day. The total payout to teams in 2025 has been $431 million, compared to $333 million in 2024. A chartered race team can make up to $11-12 million based on its past two years’ performance. On the other hand, an open team would take in $2.9 million if they made every race. However, due to the ongoing NASCAR lawsuit, race purses are coming out to the public again.

In December 2024, journalist Jeff Gluck highlighted how race purses would heighten fans’ excitement.

“You look back in the day and say, ‘Oh, Jeff Gordon made x amount of dollars this season, wow, that’s incredible.’ And you could look at all the payouts from back in the day. Think that was pretty cool. But I think the charters made it more complicated and are a reason why it’s less straightforward now. And harder to explain.”

While race purses are kept hidden, NASCAR had to reveal charter figures recently.

Towering charter figures are out

The NASCAR lawsuit has been raging since October 2024. However, it recently picked up in terms of intensity, especially with the revelation of text messages. A series of messages on the part of NASCAR executives raised eyebrows across the community, as they involved pointed references and interesting tidbits.

To add to that, a full transaction history of charter sales was included in the most recent documents unsealed in the lawsuit. This is the latest information revealed ahead of the trial date on December 1st.

Introduced in 2016, the charter system guarantees teams a portion of the prize money. It is precisely this system that Michael Jordan and Co. are battling against, citing ‘monopolistic’ activities on the part of NASCAR. And the charter prices recently disclosed are hefty:

Live Fast Motorsports sold its charter for $40 million in 2024, the highest price ever paid for an individual charter. Stewart-Haas Racing sold its three charters for a combined $84 million. These are only some of the multiple figures listed in the teams’ transaction history.

Clearly, NASCAR is revealing parts of its enterprise due to the lawsuit. Meanwhile, fans crave a little more information in broadcasts — let’s wait and see if the sport pays heed or not.