Fox' Digger To Star In Two-Minute Episodes During NASCAR Prerace

Digger To Be Featured In Six Episodes In '09

Digger, the cartoon gopher who "pops out of his hole periodically" on Fox' NASCAR broadcasts, is "expanding beyond cameo spots in the corner of the Fox screen to six two-minute episodes during Fox's prerace program in the 2009 season," according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. Fox Sports Chair & CEO David Hill: "It's one thing to have a five-second piece of animation, but I thought I might be developing a new revenue stream. ... Hopefully it expands interest from kids in watching the races. In this environment, every new pair of eyes helps." Sandomir noted Fox has "not signed a sponsor for the minicartoons, which are being animated in a studio in Romania." Hill has "no plans for Digger beyond the six episodes, at least not yet." Digger was created prior to Fox' coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 17 (N.Y. TIMES, 12/7).