One of the worst kept secrets in sports media has finally been made official. After several years as the face of NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is making the move to Amazon and TNT.
Late last year it was announced that NASCAR would be expanding its rightsholders to four in its next cycle for the next seven years – current partners NBC and Fox and new partners TNT and Amazon Prime. The incumbents will have 14 Cup races each surrounding a 10 week summer window when both TNT and Amazon will air five races in consecutive weeks.
When Earnhardt revealed he was out of a contract with NBC the speculation immediately turned to his next potential move. It wasn’t long thereafter that it was reported Earnhardt would move to Amazon and TNT for their midseason packages.
On Tuesday, both Amazon and TNT made the move official in dueling press releases.
“I’m honored to be a part of Prime Video’s entrance into NASCAR,” said Earnhardt Jr. in a Prime Video press release. “It is an exciting opportunity to have the chance to give our NASCAR fan base yet another way to watch the sport. It will be exciting to see the innovation that Prime Video is going to bring to our sport and the fans.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Dale as an official member of the Amazon family, and build our NASCAR coverage around him,” added Jared Stacy, Director of Global Live Sports Production, Prime Video in the announcement. “One of the most beloved figures in racing history, Dale has an unrivaled passion for the sport. We are so excited for him to connect with NASCAR fans next season on Prime Video.”
“It is such an exciting time to welcome TNT Sports back to NASCAR,” said Earnhardt Jr in the TNT release. “I remember watching the races on TNT back in the day, and it’s so nostalgic to see them return to the sport and to be a part of their team. I’m looking forward to joining their team and also getting the chance to work with Bleacher Report creating content that our fans will enjoy.”
“We’re very thrilled to welcome Dale to the TNT Sports family as we partner closely in setting the cornerstone for our NASCAR coverage,” commented Craig Barry, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, TNT Sports in their announcement. “We could not be more excited for the return of NASCAR to TNT Sports next Summer, with Dale being a critical part of the overall vision and execution of our coverage.”
As far as other duties Dale Jr. will take on with the new companies, Earnhardt’s Dirty Mo Media will collaborate on a new Bleacher Report series that will see him interview special guests while driving the tracks that TNT will be at for their races. Amazon noted that details about all of Earnhardt’s contributions to the platform and NASCAR coverage will be announced at a later time.
Dale Jr. is one of the most popular drivers and personalities in NASCAR history. His presence will bring an automatic connection with fans and cement both Amazon and TNT as legitimate players in the space. Earnhardt has also built something of a media empire on his own with his successful podcast network and with both Amazon and WBD invested in him, that will likely continue to grow.
