One of the biggest names in NASCAR history, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is leaving his media home for a better opportunity. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Earnhardt Jr. will make the jump from NBC to Prime Video and TNT in 2025.
It’s expected that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will take the rest of the 2024 NASCAR season off, with the return to media coming in 2025. Bringing in a legend like Earnhardt will instantly give both TNT and Amazon a legitimate recognizable voice. In some ways, the hire is similar to how both companies made Splashy hires to legitimize their NHL and NFL coverage. Each of the companies will get five races starting in 2025.
He had not been under any contract during 2024. Earlier this month he stated on his podcast that he was hoping to agree to an extension, but things did not work out that way. Last week, Earnhardt alerted NBC of the decision. Marchand notes that as a free agent this season, he could still contribute some for FOX or even NBC in 2024 if both sides agreed to a shorter deal.
Over the past several years, Amazon Prime has become a solid streaming service in the sports industry. The service already features exclusive NFL Thursday Night games and is a leading contender to add the NBA soon. For NBC, there’s no word on who will replace Jr.
“Dale Earnhardt Jr. is beloved in the NASCAR world and has made numerous contributions to NBC Sports, from his work as an analyst on our NASCAR coverage to his experiences as a correspondent at major events like the Indianapolis 500, the Kentucky Derby, the Super Bowl, and the Olympics,” an NBC Sports spokesperson told The Athletic. “We thank Dale and we wish him the best going forward.”
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