Marty Smith is branching out of Bristol, Connecticut.
The longtime ESPN reporter is returning to his NASCAR roots this summer, hosting TNT Sports’ upcoming five-race Cup Series slate “as part of a new side deal,” reports Austin Karp in Sports Business Journal. Smith signed a long-term extension with ESPN last month that will see him continue his roles on College GameDay, at major golf tournaments, the NFL Draft, and as host of Marty & McGee on SEC Network.
Last year, the first in which TNT returned to NASCAR broadcasting under a new set of media rights deals, Shannon Spake hosted the network’s coverage. It is unclear if she will return this summer.
Karp reports the move by ESPN to release Smith for NASCAR duty on TNT is related to the Inside the NBA licensing deal struck between the two networks in 2024. It continues a trend of cooperation between ESPN and TNT, which most notably involves the sublicensing of College Football Playoff games. For the first time this season, TNT will air two quarterfinal games and a semifinal game in the College Football Playoff as part of an expanded agreement with ESPN. TNT also receives Big 12 inventory from ESPN as part of the Inside the NBA sublicense.
Smith began his career at ESPN in 2006, serving as the network’s lead NASCAR reporter from 2007 to 2014, having previously worked as an analyst and host for Speed Channel. However, when ESPN aired its final NASCAR race in 2014 after failing to renew broadcast rights for the circuit, Smith began to rapidly expand his assignments at ESPN into other sports. The new TNT gig will allow Smith to return to the sport he began his career in.
Smith was reportedly a target for both TNT and Amazon as far back as mid-2024, when both broadcasters will building out their NASCAR rosters from scratch in preparation for a 2025 launch. Ultimately, it is TNT who landed Smith’s services, albeit maybe a year later than the network initially planned.
TNT will air its first NASCAR race of the season on June 28 in Sonoma.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.