MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 19, 2018) – As announced last Friday, the Dale Jr. Download podcast is being crafted into a half-hour television show and will be added to NBC Sports’ NASCAR programming this summer. The season premiere airs this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. EDT on NBC Sports Network.
Earnhardt hinted at the launch of his own television show during JRM’s annual Fan Days last month, exciting longtime JR Nation fans and avid listeners of the Dale Jr. Download. The decision to make a TV version of Dirty Mo Media’s flagship creation makes sense, as NBC Sports has peppered it into full segments on its daily program “NASCAR America” since March.
It’s also a continuation of NBC Sports’ methodic strategy to integrate Earnhardt into its ecosystem, a transition that will manifest in full next week when NBC takes over NASCAR’s second-half season broadcast schedule. Earnhardt Jr. will join former crew chief Steve Letarte, former racer Jeff Burton, and lead broadcaster Rick Allen in the booth each week through November.
“The podcast has seen a lot of growth this year, both in our listener base and also in our production pieces,” Earnhardt said. “The addition of video clips for social media is one example. Much of the feedback we receive is from people wanting to watch more. Now they will be able to. Hopefully they will continue to like what they see.”
The addition of the television show will not supplant the podcast. The full podcast version will continue as normal, as will the video accessory pieces throughout the week. The Dale Jr. Download podcast is available free of charge on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and all major podcasting platforms.
“That was the main question – will it replace the podcast? Of course not,” Earnhardt said. “It’s a podcast first and foremost. We have too much fun doing it this way to change it.”
The Download team includes co-host Mike Davis, Earnhardt Jr.’s longtime brand director who started the Dirty Mo Media network of original content in 2013 and continues to oversee it. New to the team this year is producer Matthew Dillner, who also has a voice on the program.
Other Dirty Mo Media podcasts include Door-Bumper-Clear, a weekly show by veteran NASCAR spotters T.J. Majors and Brett Griffin, and JR Nation UnDamnRestricted, a fan podcast hosted by Dan Hodson. Dirty Mo Media also produces the weekly video series JRM 360, which provides a casual peek at the personalities and inner-workings of Earnhardt Jr.’s racing organization, JR Motorsports.