NBC to bring NBA broadcasting icon Jim Fagan back from the dead next season
In addition to Roundball Rock, TV personality John Tesh's immortal basketball-inspired anthem, NBC will be relying on the famed voice of Jim Fagan despite the fact the narrator died in 2017 following a battle with Parkinson's Disease.
Thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence, and an agreement with Fagan's surviving family, promos for NBC's NBA coverage will include a digital recreation of the announcer's voice.
NBC Sports has already produced one promo featuring the late Fagan's voice, but the reaction wasn't entirely positive.
'You can't find a living announcer?' one critic asked on YouTube. 'You've got to zombify a legend? AI is the worst.'
'In poor taste and weird,' one fan followed. 'Please stop doing this.'
Another added: 'Besides AI sucking I feel like this is a signal that they're going to rely solely on nostalgia in terms of marketing/branding.'
NBC pulled a similar move with Al Michaels voice, although he is still alive and handling Amazon Prime's NFL coverage. Rather, NBC used an AI-replication of his voice for daily Olympic recaps during the Paris Games, given the legendary announcer's place in Team USA history with his famed 'Do you believe in miracles?' call at the 1980 Winter Games.
Fagan, a former college football player at West Virginia, did promos for a variety of NBC programming, including the network's Saturday morning hoops show, NBA Inside Stuff. Prior to that, Fagan originally came to New York to perform on Broadway.
'I was a pretty good singer,' he told WVU Sports prior to his death in 2017.
Ultimately it was his wife, Jamie, who did commercial jingles and later pushed him towards television.
'I guess I was born to do it, I got the voice, I looked OK, and I could read, so I started doing commercials,' he said.
NBC also decided to bring back Tesh's famed Roundball Rock, which holds a special place in the hearts of NBA fans of a certain age because it often preceded highly anticipated Chicago Bulls games involving Michael Jordan.
The NBA's new 11-year media rights deal begins next season, with Amazon and NBC gaining league media rights alongside ESPN in a $77 billion agreement.
The WNBA also cut its own deal with Amazon, ESPN and NBC worth around $2.2 billion (or $200 million annually), DailyMail.com has learned. What's more, the 'W' is still free to make other media deals, potentially adding to its nine-figure annual haul.
Although the NBA's regular-season ratings were down again in 2024-25, the playoff coverage has seen a 13-percent uptick from last year on ESPN, the network recently revealed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a minute ago
- Daily Mail
Movie-obsessed couple take insane $1M gamble to restore America's oldest drive-in theater
When film buffs Matt McClanahan and Lauren McChesney learned that their beloved local drive-in might be swallowed up by developers, they didn't hesitate to act. The couple emptied their savings, drained their retirement accounts, and signed on for a whopping $1 million loan to save it. The prize? Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre in Orefield, Pennsylvania – the oldest operating drive-in in the world, which first lit up the silver screen back in 1934. For McClanahan, 35, it wasn't just business. 'It was a very personal connection, because I grew up coming here, so I had that drive to preserve a piece of my own childhood,' he told CNBC. To clinch the deal in 2022, the couple scraped together everything they could, from family contributions to their own retirement funds. McChesney, 41, even walked away from her career in health care to throw herself into the business full-time. 'I thought it was going to feel a lot scarier to give up my previous career,' she told CNBC. 'But as soon as I made that shift, it all just fell into place and made sense to me.' Their boldness wasn't without pressure. As McChesney put it: 'Because it's historic, because it's so special, there is that added pressure that we have to be successful with this.' McClanahan and McChesney's romance itself sounds like something out of a rom-com: they met when he tore her ticket at another drive-in he used to manage. 'He took my ticket, and we started dating maybe a year after that,' McChesney said. Today, they're not only business partners but also engaged to be married. Their joint mission was to breathe new life into Shankweiler's while keeping its vintage magic intact. 'Shankweiler's was a quiet backyard theater. It existed to play the movies for its neighborhood, and that was really it. We're trying to elevate that and bring it to another level,' McClanahan said. Operating America's oldest drive-in doesn't come cheap. McClanahan admitted the finances can feel like a revolving door: 'You have a ton of money going in, and then a ton of money going right back out.' To cover bills and loan payments, they've had to run year-round instead of seasonally. 'Since we had all these payments and we had to start paying our loan and we have bills, we had to be open year-round,' McChesney said. It hasn't been easy – but blockbuster nights and community events keep the dream alive. To lure crowds beyond summer, the couple has got creative. Valentine's Day saw 'Date Night at the Drive-In' with charcuterie boards and cocktails, while their annual Halloween trunk-or-treat has become a local favorite. As McClanahan put it: 'There's a lot of things in addition to the movies that customers have to look forward to when they come to our theater. It's more than the movies. It's a whole night.' And when the lights go down, the payoff, he said, is priceless 'When the movies are playing and you're watching hundreds of people share this amazing experience, and they're having a great time and everyone's happy, it's like that weight is just lifted and you realize this is why we're doing it. 'The community is coming together in this space, and we're facilitating something really special.'
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Parents who force son, 9, to do squats when he's naughty defend themselves & call it a ‘corrective parenting moment'
A COUPLE who came under fire for making their nine-year-old son do push-ups and squats as punishment have defended their parenting technique. Dustin, 35, and Katie Maletich, 32, from Oregon, went viral on TikTok after they shared a video showing how they handled their son Tommy misbehaving. 2 2 Recorded on an at-home camera, Tommy was seen arguing with his mother over wanting to use her phone. Katie told him to stop and he replied: ''OK, chill''. The remark, however, left Dustin unamused. ''Did you just tell your mum to chill?'' a shocked Dustin asked the little boy. Without much hesitation, Dustin then demanded the youngster to start doing push-ups. The nine-year-old obliged, immediately getting down on all fours and and starting the exercise. He stopped after doing ten - but the dad still wasn't satisfied and told him to keep going. ''I can't do anymore,'' Tommy said - however, Dustin wasn't having any of it and kept pushing the nine-year-old to ''go, go'' 20 push-ups later, Tommy was exhausted - but his dad then broke the news that he'd also have to do squats. The nine-year-old did a whopping 60 squats before his dad finally told him he could stop. Irish comedian Emma Doran on the differences between her childhood and that of her kids ''Do we tell mum to 'chill out'? Absolutely not,'' Dustin told him after he was done. 'I wouldn't let anybody else talk to her like that so you don't get to talk to her like that.'' Tommy then apologised to mum Katie and the viral video ended with Dustin telling him: ''I love you.'' Sharing the footage online under the username @ raisingmaletich, Katie wrote in the caption: ''I will never stop being grateful to be raising kids with a real man who knows how to be a father, especially to his boys. Different parenting styles explained There are four recognised styles of parenting explained below: Authoritarian Parenting What some might describe as "regimental" or "strict" parenting. Parents with this style focus on strict rules, obedience, and discipline. Authoritarian parents take over the decision-making power, rarely giving children any input in the matter. When it comes to rules, you believe it's "my way or the highway". Permissive Parenting Often referred to as "soft parenting" or "yes mums/dads". Permissive parents are lenient, only stepping in when there's a serious problem. They're quite forgiving and they adopt an attitude of "kids will be kids". Oftentimes they act more like friends than authoritative figures. Authoritative Parenting Authoritative parents provide their children with rules and boundaries, but they also give them the freedom to make decisions. With an authoritative parenting style, parents validate their children's feelings while also making it clear that the adults are ultimately in charge. They use positive reinforcement techniques, like praise and reward systems, as opposed to harsh punishments. Neglectful or Uninvolved Parenting Essentially, neglectful parents ignore their children, who receive little guidance, nurturing, and parental attention. They don't set rules or expectations, and they tend to have minimal knowledge about what their children are doing. Uninvolved parents expect children to raise themselves. They don't devote much time or energy to meeting children's basic needs. Uninvolved parents may be neglectful but it's not always intentional. A parent with mental health issues or substance abuse problems, for example, may not be able to care for a child's physical or emotional needs consistently. ''This is masculinity,'' Katie wrote in the caption of the video, which has racked up more than 1.4 million views. But viewers were divided over parenting technique, with some applauding Dustin's method and others slamming the pair for making their son do physical activity as punishment. While chatting exclusively with the Daily Mail, Katie and Dustin defended their actions. ''This is not something exceptionally difficult for him because we all workout together as a family for fun several times a week and he is used to this sort of exertion,'' Dustin explained. '''You can tell right away when I ask him, 'What did you say?' that he knew he had messed up. ''He is such a great kid and is generally very remorseful when he knows that he made a mistake.'' Dustin applauded his son for apologising to Katie without being asked to and pointed out that the moment ''ended with love''. In Dustin's eyes, the physical exercise allows Tommy to ''refocus when he feels that he doesn't have control over his body and mind which always makes him more reception to healthy communication''. The couple said they never expected the video to get the reaction it did, and they viewed it as a ''tender parenting moment''. In the interview, Dustin said it meant something special to his partner because Katie grew up in a home ''where there was a lot of toxicity, emotionally reactive parenting, yelling and anger''. He said that when Katie saw the ''corrective parenting moment'' unfold between the two, it left her ''very emotional'' - and Katie allegedly felt ''inspired''. In response to the online backlash, Dustin reminded social media users that everyone parents in the way they ''see fit''. ''I think as long as you aren't doing anything to intentionally harm your child, I think you get to make that decision,'' he told the publication. As for their parenting method, Dustin explained they're trying to raise Tommy as a ''healthy, happy, resilient and respectful human''. Social media users left divided Online, the video has sparked a fierce debate, leaving many divided. One said: ''I don't really agree with physical exercise being used as a punishment but glad he was supportive of not letting them talk to you that way.'' Another chimed in: ''the fact he even said 'don't give up' & 'good one', encouraging him while also being a parent & disciplining him! literally a perfect example of what good parenting should look like in a situation like this!'' Someone else said: ''this is called tough love and holding children accountable for their actions. a lot of parents don't understand this. which is why we end up with kids running ragged.''
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Pete Davidson opens up about ‘guilt' over girlfriend's pregnancy after high-profile romance with Kim Kardashian
COMEDIAN Pete Davidson has opened up on feeling guilty about his girlfriend Elsie Hewitt's pregnancy. It was revealed last month that the Saturday Night Live star, 31, was to become a first-time father with his model and actress partner whom he has been romancing since the start of the year. 4 4 4 But now in a candid confession, Pete, who is perhaps better known for his colourful love life than his career, has discussed the "guilt" he feels surrounding Elsie's pregnancy. In an appareance on The Breakfast Club, Pete discussed how the pregnancy had become headline news and how he "felt bad" that Elsie will have to deal with many things publically as a result of being attached to him. Pete was previously engaged to Ariana Grande in 2018 and was Kim Kardashian's first boyfriend after her messy split from long-time husband, Kanye West. Speaking to The Breakfast Club's hosts, Pete said: "I feel bad for my girl because I bring a lot of s***. "Anything I do or she does now is gonna be a thing. "She's a very private person and she's the one doing all the work. It's supposed to be a beautiful experience." Pete went on to say: "She's never made me feel this way or said anything but I feel so guilty and horrible that I could not allow her to have the ideal pregnancy that almost every woman gets to have and enjoy." Pete and Elsie were first linked in March of this year after they were spotted together in Miami. They could be seen packing on the PDA and were quick to make their relationship Instagram official just a week later - three months before confirming their pregnancy to the world. Pete Davidson admits 'I need to get out of my head' after Elsie Hewitt debuts bump ahead of stars welcoming baby Elsie has previously gushed over her love for Pete to People magazine in May when they made their red carpet debut with one another. She told the publication at the time: "He's so incredible. "Honestly, best person I've ever met, and I'm so grateful that he's here tonight." Elsie, 29, first announced the news on Instagram, cheekily captioning the post with "welp, now everyone knows we had sex." She included a sweet video of herself getting an ultrasound, with an accompanying ultrasound image, along with several loved up snaps of herself with the Saturday Night Live alum. A source close to Pete told The U.S. Sun that Elsie is due this winter. As an insider previously revealed to The U.S. Sun, the funnyman and the model/ foodie had both hoped to start a family together. "They've been living together for several months now, and while things seem to be moving fast from an outside perspective, Elsie sees a future with Pete and wants to take things with him to the next level," the insider said at the time. "She very much sees herself having a family with Pete. She loves the way their relationship is going and she envisions bringing children into that equation," the source claimed. They moved in together in a Brooklyn apartment just months after meeting. Pete was engaged to Ariana Grande for six months in 2018 before they split. He went on to enjoy brief romances with Kate Beckinsale, model Kaia Gerber and Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor, the daughter of Coronation Street star Sally Dynevor. Pete was then with Kim Kardashian for ten months between October 2021 and August 2022.
