Gearing up for the new media rights deal that debuts next season, NASCAR has hired former ESPN executive, John Dahl as SVP of Content. Dahl had his hands in content such as “The Last Dance” and “30 for 30” while at ESPN.
NASCAR is planning on having its own broadcast capabilities. The NASCAR Studios project is going to allow the sanctioning body to take control of broadcasts, at least to an extent.
The new facility will also produce content that isn’t focused on race weekends. It opens the door for the sport to get creative. It allows them to put out a product that they and the fans want to see.
The hiring of Dahl is a big step. While at ESPN, Dahl was the Vice President and Executive Producer for Special Projects, Film and Original Content. It shows NASCAR is serious about this media project, this is a big hire.
“NASCAR has an incredible opportunity to continue fueling its positive momentum with powerful storytelling that brings fans closer to everything that makes this sport so compelling, and there’s no one more proven or better equipped to deliver on that potential than John Dahl,” said Tim Clark, SVP and Chief Digital Officer of NASCAR. “We’re thrilled to welcome John aboard and can’t wait for fans to experience everything he and his extremely talented NASCAR teammates have to offer.”
NASCAR hits a homerun with Dahl hiring
John Dahl is an incredibly accomplished producer. In an era where sports content is booming on streamers, this is a good sign. There are so many great stories from the past and present of the sport that need to be told.
In total, Dahl has won 11 Emmys as well as three Peabody Awards. The crowning achievement is probably “The Last Dance,” the 10-part docuseries on Michael Jordan’s final championship season.
“Over the course of my career, I’ve been fortunate to experience firsthand NASCAR’s rich reservoir of characters and storylines, from the people behind the wheel all the way to the tracks and fans themselves,” said Dahl. “I’m excited to help build on the foundation of extraordinary content being created in and around NASCAR to give fans more reasons to engage, whether that comes in a TikTok video, a documentary project or anything in between.”
While executives don’t always mean much in action, John Dahl feels like a strong hire. At the very least, it shows NASCAR is serious about the new studio. The Xfinity Series will be broadcast on The CW for the entire year in 2025. This studio will be major in making that production work.
To make it better, Dahl was a reporter for WBT Radio in Charlotte. He has covered the Coca-Cola 600. Dahl was also a consultant for “NASCAR: Full Speed” on Netflix.
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