Dale Earnhardt Jr. will officially continue as a NASCAR broadcaster in 2025.
Amazon and TNT announced Tuesday that Earnhardt Jr. would serve as a commentator for the networks’ coverage of the Cup Series when NASCAR’s new TV contract kicks in next season. Amazon and TNT are each broadcasting 10 races in 2025 between Fox’s season-opening portion of the schedule and when NBC takes over for the end of the season.
Junior is still the most recognizable figure in NASCAR and has worked as an analyst for NBC since his retirement from the Cup Series at the end of the 2017 season. However, he said after the 2023 season that his contract with NBC was up and the network previously confirmed that he wouldn’t be returning for the 2024 season.
“It is such an exciting time to welcome TNT Sports back to NASCAR,” Junior said in a statement. “I remember watching the races on TNT back in the day, and it’s so nostalgic to see them return to the sport and be a part of their team.”
Amazon’s hire of Earnhardt Jr. continues its trend of finding recognizable commentators for its sports properties. Amazon uses longtime NFL announcer Al Michaels and ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit for its Thursday night NFL games.
“I’m honored to be a part of Prime Video’s entrance into NASCAR,” Junior said in an Amazon statement. “It is an exciting opportunity to have the chance to give our NASCAR fanbase 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.”
NBC has been cutting costs as it scaled back its NASCAR investment heading into the 2025 season. The network is televising just 14 races in 2025 after having the rights for 20 in 2024. Fox is cutting back too; it’s televising 16 points races this year along with two exhibition races.
The 10 Cup Series races aren’t the only programming that Amazon and TNT are picking up in 2025, either. Amazon will be the home of all practice and qualifying for Fox’s Cup races, while TruTV will televise practice and qualifying for all of TNT and NBC’s races.
The CW is picking up the rights to the second-tier Xfinity Series in 2025 and will broadcast the final eight races of the 2024 season this year after obtaining them from NBC.
Next season will be Amazon’s first foray into motorsports and the first time that Cup Series races will be exclusively on a streaming platform. TNT has had NASCAR rights off and on for decades and hasn’t broadcast a NASCAR race since 2014.
Source Agencies
