He's a visionary: Mike Joy lauds David Hill's bold strategies in shaping NASCAR's broadcast future

Mike Joy credited former FOX Sports chairman David Hill for his efforts to popularize NASCAR telecasts and attract younger fans. The longtime broadcaster reflected on Hill’s unique approach to storytelling and how his legacy still influences modern sports television.

Hill's contributions came during the early 2000s when FOX acquired NASCAR broadcasting rights, introducing radical innovations to the screen. From constant telemetry displays to engaging camera angles and cartoon mascots, his strategies weren't universally loved, but they were undeniably effective.

Fox Sports executive David Hill hired to advise on F1's broadcast package at Las Vegas Grand Prix. Source: Getty

Joy, having witnessed those changes from the booth, stood firmly in praise of Hill's vision, especially when it came to reaching families and youth. The conversation on X began when the Sports Business Journal writer Adam Stern posted an article that profiled David Hill. It highlighted his revolutionary role in shaping FOX Sports' broadcast identity, particularly his unconventional strategies in NASCAR coverage.

Mike Joy shared the story, adding his own reflections on Hill's legacy and its continued relevance today. He drew a line between FOX's approach under Hill and current industry efforts and wrote on X:

"David Hill is a visionary, I love the effort he and Ed Goren made to grow our audience. Families and kids were always three deep at Digger's souvenir trailer... more than at many driver's. Compare Digger to today's efforts to bring new, younger eyes to sports on TV. I'll wait."

David Hill served as the founding chairman of FOX Sports and helped the network reshape sports broadcasting with revolutionary on-screen graphics and entertainment-first storytelling. When FOX landed NASCAR rights in 2001, Hill and executive producer Ed Goren pushed for bold moves, like the persistent on-screen Fox Box and increased use of in-car audio. It transformed passive race-watching into an immersive experience.

The introduction of Digger, an animated gopher shown burrowing under the track to offer a ground-level view (via the Gopher Cam), was one of the more divisive additions. While traditional viewers frowned upon the cartoonish character, children and families embraced it as Mike Joy recalled.

This improved the show's resonance with a younger demographic, a rarity for NASCAR at the time. However, some NASCAR executives blamed it for declining viewership and discontinued it in 2012.

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Mike Joy credits David Hill's 'visionary' mindset for shaping NASCAR's broadcast identity

Mike Joy (second from left) attends NASCAR's Cars 3 Collaboration Announcement in 2017. Source: Getty

In the same thread, Mike Joy contextualized David Hill's strategies as precursors to today's fan engagement initiatives. While many current networks wrestle with how to attract younger, digital-first audiences, Joy hinted that FOX had already cracked that code years ago. His remark, 'I'll wait', served as a subtle challenge to contemporary broadcasters to match Hill's ingenuity.

Though some of Hill's decisions were considered excessive by purists, his results spoke for themselves. Under his leadership, NASCAR's TV ratings saw rise steadily spikes in the early FOX era, and the races felt like events, not just sports coverage. Nielsen's Fox Sports estimates also show a steady decline in NASCAR TV viewership post-2005.

The Crown Jewel of the NASCAR Cup Series - the Daytona 500, for example, has seen its ratings drop from over 18 million in 2000 to as low as 2.8 million in 2021 (per Sports Media Watch).

The 2025 Daytona 500 Fox Sports broadcast saw a slight improvement, with a viewership of 6.76 million but remains one-third of the numbers two decades ago under Hill's tenure.

Modern broadcasts lean on analytics and multi-angle commentary. However, Mike Joy mirrors Hill's emphasis on storytelling and accessibility which ensures that even a casual fan or a child watching for the first time has something fun to latch onto.