It’s more or less a unanimous opinion within the NASCAR community and among the fans that the coverage of NBC Sports is far superior to that of FOX Sports. And a big reason for that, a big upper hand that NBC has over FOX, apart from the technical aspect of the presentation of races and information, is Dale Earnhardt Jr. However, that advantage could soon be gone. And soon, the tables could turn in FOX’s favor.
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This is because, in a recent episode of his podcast show, Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a massive revelation. “My contract with NBC is up,” he said. “It was up at the end of last year. I’m currently working through what that looks like for me. I definitely love being in the broadcast booth and want to continue doing that.”
“We’ve had some great conversations with all of NASCAR’s TV partners. My home and my love is at NBC and I’d love to be back with them so we’ll see where it goes. But right now, I really don’t have a job in terms of broadcasting.”‘
Dale Earnhardt Jr. further described that as he is learning more about his future in broadcasting, he will keep everyone updated on that. But he did mention his special connection with NBC and what the current uncertainty of the situation is doing to him.
“I’m anxious to get that sorted out because certainly have had a lot of fun with NBC over the years doing that, broadcasting with (Steve) Letarte and those guys,” he said.
The situation, as uncertain as it is for NBC Sports, could worsen because of one other factor, and that is Kevin Harvick.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s future with NBC and Kevin Harvick’s entry in FOX could lead to an interesting flip
Right before the start of the 2023 season, just as he announced he would be retiring at the end of the year from racing full-time, Kevin Harvick also revealed that he would be joining the FOX Sports booth. This was a development everyone took in a positive way, not just because Harvick wouldn’t be away from NASCAR as most drivers in their retirements do.
It would also benefit FOX, who simply hasn’t had a major name in the booth since Jeff Gordon.
Of course, it’s also a fact that the production team of FOX hasn’t raised their game in the off-season as after the Clash, many fans expressed the same concerns and complaints they’ve had with the network for the past few seasons. But still, if they can raise their bar, and capitalize on the brand of Kevin Harvick, making him the face of their operation while at the same time, NBC fails to renew Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s contract, things could really turn in FOX’s favor.
