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via Getty

via Getty

Even when he was a driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr had drawn the plans for his post-retirement life. Launching Dirty Mo Media in 2013, he has expanded the company into one of the most followed entertainment mediums in the sport. The simple beginnings started with the weekly podcast titled Dale Jr. Download, which has now become one of the top motorsport podcasts in America. Continuing to expand the boundaries of the company with deals outside and inside NASCAR, Junior created a strong and stable product for NASCAR fans.

Unfortunately, his successful journey in media has now hit a snag that threatens to earn him the wrath of fans. In a recent outcome of opinions, fans gathered to express their displeasure with the path that Junior was taking his company.

Dale Jr’s media journey under fire after his monetization efforts

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Dirty Mo Media’s wheels set off rolling a decade back with the combined efforts of Dale Jr and Mike Davis, his long-term friend and JR Motorsports’ communication director. Davis serves as the president of the outfit and as a co-host on the Dale Jr. Download podcast. Up until 2022, Dirty Mo Media had just four shows including The Dale Jr. Download and Door Bumper Clear. However, their partnership with leading podcast studio Cadence13 last year brought forth a broader expansion and vision.

Junior had said in the wake of the partnership, “The first big step was putting Mike in a position so that he could execute his vision, make important hires, and begin building new shows that he and I want to make.” While the new dimension of Dirty Mo Media brought to the table a host of interesting initiatives like the Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin, it has also received a lot of flak in regards to the increased advertisements that it casts. A dedicated Dale Jr. Download listener took their opinions forward on Reddit,

Does anyone else wish DJD would go back to the old format?
Old format meaning, one weekly show with an in-depth guest interview. The episodes with Jeremy Mayfield and Greg Biffle were fascinating. I just feel like the episodes this season are all of over the place…a lot of Micky Mouse content.

Watch Story: Why Hendrick Motorsports Driver Won’t Join Dale Jr.’s Media Ventures?

Considering that Cadence13 is a company that specializes in creating and “monetizing” audio content, the ads make sense from a business perspective. But little does that appeal to the massive fanbase of Dale Jr’s programs.

Reddit fans demand that Junior’s show goes back to its old self

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Dirty Mo Media is just one of the several businesses that Junior owns and his sister, Kelley Miller runs. Interestingly, the company is funded entirely by the Earnhardt-Davis partnership and doesn’t appear to be planning to raise capital from other sources. With a greater vision in their minds, the duo could possibly push into major TV production in the future. But that will be possible only in the event that Junior acts on the complaints of his members.

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Expressing their annoyance at the sponsorships that Davis reads out very often in the middle of podcasts, a fan wrote, “Honestly sick of the ad reads that Mike needs to make a conversation out of.” Another listener observed the effect of Cadence13 and said, “Denny’s show too. They have really monetized the Dirty Mo shows lately.” In Junior’s corner, he has created one of the most listened-to podcasts in NASCAR. But all the good work that he did over the decade faces the risk of being torn down. Detailing the inconvenience that the advertisements cause, a fan wrote,

This! When I put a podcast on I’m usually doing work around the house. I want to be able to push play and listen. Having to stop what I’m doing once every 10 minutes to skip 6 minutes of ads has made this season nearly impossible to listen to. Same for DBC.

With more comments pouring in along the lines of “Dirty Mo Ad Service”, one follower saw the brighter side of things. He replied, “This year feels like an experiment. It has its pros and cons as to be expected. They’ll regroup and tweak some things.” Hopefully, the fan’s optimism turns out to be a reality.

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Though the prolonged and frequent advertisements are matters that can be resolved in a gist, more worrying is the opinion that the shows have gone down in quality. With a fan writing, Don’t get me wrong I love Jr, but having 2-3+ shows a week with little to no substance gets very boring after a while.”, the actions needed from Dale Jr were pretty much put in the clear. Hopefully, the Dirty Mo Media team will get on the problems of listeners sooner rather than later and retain its goodwill.

Read More: “It’s My Fault” – Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Surprising Defense of His Departing Driver on Social Media Has Fans Applauding His Ownership