The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is the first year of a new seven-year, $7.7 billion media rights deal which features not only existing broadcast partners Fox and NBC but also a newcomer in Amazon Prime Video and a returning partner in TNT Sports. 2025 was also IndyCar's first year of a new TV deal with Fox which has since been extended through 2030.
IndyCar's move from NBC to Fox was announced in June 2024, and in response to that decision, NBC opted to move longtime lead IndyCar announcer Leigh Diffey to NASCAR to ensure he did not move elsewhere.
So during NBC's portion of last year's Cup Series schedule, longtime announcer Rick Allen was effectively replaced, with Diffey taking over alongside analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte, starting with the August race at Daytona International Speedway.
Fox ended up signing Will Buxton to serve as the new lead IndyCar announcer, placing him alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe.
Where is Rick Allen now after NBC departure?
Allen confirmed earlier this year that NBC's decision, which naturally prompted unfounded rumors but wasn't actually made for any particular reason other than for NBC to retain Diffey, was a "crushing blow".
Additionally, it was Adam Alexander who landed the full-time lead announcer role for the Xfinity Series, where Allen had also called races, as the series made the full move to the CW Network in 2025.
Several fans have called for Fox to consider hiring Allen, factoring in some of the much-maligned shortcomings on not only the Cup Series side but also on the Truck Series side earlier this year.
Though there has been nothing to suggest that anything is in the works regarding a NASCAR return for the man who spent 10 seasons leading the NBC Sports broadcast booth, and who was actually with Fox from 2003 to 2014 for Truck Series races, Allen has been keeping busy, and his schedule has ramped up even more so recently.
The 56-year-old Grand Island, Nebraska native is currently in the CARS Tour broadcast booth for FloRacing, and he recently announced that he is set to serve as the public address system announcer for the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina during the upcoming 2025 season.
The Panthers' first home game is scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 21 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Additionally, Allen recently returned to the CW Network, where he spent time during the Xfinity Series' transition in late 2024, as a fill-in play-by-play announcer during college football games.
For the NASCAR fans who were used to his iconic voice calling some of the sport's epic playoff moments over the past decade, his departure was far from ideal.
But it's clear that his unexpected release from NBC was not enough to keep him down, and now fans once again have more than one way to listen into his coverage if they choose to do so.
As for the NASCAR Cup Series, playoff race number two of the year is scheduled to take place at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway this Sunday, September 7. USA Network is set to provide live coverage of the Enjoy Illinois 300 beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET, so start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss it!