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New York Times
29-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Tracy McGrady joining NBC Sports as NBA studio analyst
NBC Sports continues to acquire Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers for its upcoming NBA coverage. The network announced Tuesday that it hired Tracy McGrady, the seven-time NBA All-Star and a member of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Class of 2017, as an NBA studio analyst for both NBC and Peacock. He joins fellow Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter on the studio show alongside hosts Maria Taylor and Ahmed Fareed. Michael Jordan was also announced as a special contributor to NBC Sports' upcoming coverage. Advertisement The thought behind NBC's NBA studio hires, according to someone briefed on the coverage philosophy, is to have enough on-air talent for scale. The company has a significant amount of NBA inventory arriving this year, including three consecutive nights of studio programming starting next February. There will be no set lineup for the studio; NBC plans to mix and match. NBC's other on-air hires include Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller and Grant Hill. Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle are the main play-by-play voices. McGrady has worked in broadcasting for ESPN (where he appeared on 'The Jump') and TNT Sports, where he occasionally appeared on 'Inside the NBA.' He played 16 seasons in the NBA, including with the Toronto Raptors (1997-2000), Orlando Magic (2000-2004) and Houston Rockets (2004-2010). The Athletic named him in 2021 as one of the NBA's 75 Greatest Players. 'Basketball has given me everything, and I've always just tried to give that same energy back,' McGrady said in a statement. 'I hope I can bring the same passion, insight and love for the game that's driven me since I was a kid, to all who tune in to watch on NBC and Peacock. I couldn't be more excited to join this team alongside so many others I admire.' In July 2024, the NBA signed an 11-year media rights deal with NBC/Peacock, ABC/ESPN and Amazon Prime Video beginning in the 2025-26 season. The NBC/Peacock coverage begins on Tuesday, Oct. 21, on Peacock. NBC and Peacock will air coverage on Tuesday nights beginning in October. Big picture: NBC Sports will air up to 100 regular-season NBA games, including sometimes four games a week for portions of the season. After its 'Sunday Night Football' coverage concludes, NBC Sports will launch 'Sunday Night Basketball' across NBC and Peacock, which has a shot to hit as a successful franchise play, given Sunday still represents the most watched night on linear television.
NBC Sports
01-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
AHMED FAREED NAMED STUDIO HOST FOR NBC SPORTS' BIG TEN COLLEGE COUNTDOWN AND MONDAY NIGHT NBA COVERAGE
Beginning in August, Fareed Will Host NBC Sports' Weekly Primetime College Football Studio Show on Saturday Nights on NBC and Peacock After Football, Fareed Will Host NBC Sports' NBA Studio Show on Monday Nights Exclusively on Peacock STAMFORD, Conn. – July 1, 2025 – Ahmed Fareed has been named NBC Sports' new host of Big Ten College Countdown, its weekly Saturday night primetime college football studio show that begins in August. Following the football season, he will also anchor NBC Sports' Monday night NBA coverage, presented exclusively on Peacock. An extremely versatile host, Fareed has already worked on many of NBC Sports' biggest events and across numerous sports and properties, including the Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, PyeongChang, and Rio Olympics; the Paris and Beijing Paralympics; Premier League; Major League Baseball; college football and basketball; horse racing, and more. 'College football under the lights is sacred, and we've got the crew to match its energy. Plus, helping shape our NBA coverage in its return to NBC Sports? I can't wait to start,' Fareed said. 'I'm thankful to be trusted with these roles. I'm even more motivated by the responsibility that comes with them.' In May, Fareed hosted the majority of the 151st Kentucky Derby in place of Mike Tirico, who left following an allergic reaction. His performance was critically acclaimed, with The Athletic writing, 'Fareed seamlessly handled the host role and found easy chemistry with hosts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss. Excellent work.' 'Ahmed has repeatedly demonstrated his passion for storytelling, love of college football, and ability to meet the big moments,' said Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports. 'He's a wonderful teammate who makes every event he touches feel bigger and forms an instant connection with his analysts. Ahmed's leadership and presence will continue to be a tremendous asset to our coverage of these premier properties.' Fareed, who worked as the in-stadium host and occasional studio host on NBC Sports' first two season of Big Ten football coverage, replaces Maria Taylor as the host of Big Ten College Countdown as she pivots to a new NBA role. Peacock will present exclusive national Monday night NBA games starting this fall as part of NBCUniversal's new media rights agreement with the NBA. Additionally, NBC and Peacock will present doubleheaders on Tuesday nights beginning in October. After Sunday Night Football coverage concludes in Jan. 2026, NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock, debuting on Feb. 1. As previously announced, Taylor will host Sunday and Tuesday nights. Fareed has prior experience working on the NBA, serving as a host on NBC Sports Bay Area's coverage of the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings from 2013-2018. During his tenure with Bay Area, he covered three Warriors NBA championships (2015, 2017, 2018) and five postseason appearances. Fareed won a Sports Emmy as part of NBCUniversal's coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, which was honored as Outstanding Live Special – Championship Event. For more information on Fareed, click here. *** In July 2024, NBCUniversal and the NBA announced an 11-year agreement to present NBA and WNBA regular-season and playoff basketball games across numerous platforms beginning with the 2025-26 season. Peacock will livestream exclusive national Monday night games while NBC/Peacock will present doubleheaders on Tuesday nights. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball in 2026 across NBC and Peacock, providing NBA fans with three consecutive nights of national coverage across NBCUniversal platforms during the second half of the regular season. For more information on the agreement, click here. NBC Sports has already announced that Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller, and Grant Hill will serve as game analysts; Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter as studio analysts; Maria Taylor as studio host; and Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle as play-by-play voices. Michael Jordan has been announced as a special contributor. Emmy Award-winning producer Frank DiGraci is NBC Sports' NBA coordinating producer. In a nod to its original era of NBA coverage from 1990-2002, NBC Sports is bringing back Roundball Rock, one of the most iconic and beloved theme songs in sports history, and will use an AI-generated voice of the late Jim Fagan, a longtime NBC Sports narrator whose voice was synonymous with its NBA coverage and promotion. Additional information about NBC Sports' 2025-26 NBA coverage will be announced soon. ABOUT NBC SPORTS NBC Sports connects sports fans to the moments that matter most with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. As the sports division of NBCUniversal, NBC Sports produces, programs, and promotes premier content across numerous linear and digital platforms, including NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports possesses an unparalleled collection of media rights agreements, partnering and presenting many of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Big Ten Conference, Big East Conference, Notre Dame, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, USGA, PGA of America, The R&A, Churchill Downs, Premier League, and many more. It is renowned for making big events bigger and has produced some of the most-watched sporting events in U.S. media history, including Olympic Games, Super Bowls, and Sunday Night Football, primetime television's No. 1 show for 14 consecutive years. --NBC SPORTS--
Axios
27-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Axios Event: Media execs are betting big on women's sports
CANNES, France – Media executives are focusing investments into the fast-growing market of women's sports, they said at an Axios event at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Why it matters: Women's sports is booming in viewership, engagement and fandoms as more women's teams are launching and business executives are noticing the growth opportunities. Axios' Sara Fischer spoke with Roku Media president Charlie Collier, NBCUniversal global advertising and partnerships chairman Mark Marshall, NBC Sports host and play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico and Tubi CEO Anjali Sud at the June 18 event, sponsored by Nielsen. What they're saying: Roku Media and Tubi see opportunities in investing and promoting women's sports. "We have all sorts of women's sports and we have a women's sport zone and we've invested in women's volleyball and we've invested in women's soccer," Collier said. "Platforms like iON that had the [WNBA player] Caitlin Clark games as part of their package before Caitlin Clark blew up, we absolutely made sure that we got our viewers to those games on iON. It wasn't our rights, but it was absolutely our right to elevate that pop-cultural moment," he added. "For women in sports in particular, there's just a need here. There's a vacuum that I think we have an opportunity to fill," Sud said. Sud also mentioned that Gen Z audiences care about the stories behind the athletes as well as the game, so Tubi is developing more "shoulder content" to appeal to younger audiences. "We just announced … a [tennis player] Naomi Osaka doc that's going to be coming out on Tubi in August," Sud said. "It's going to be talking about her journey coming back into the game after having a baby." "Beyond the diehard sports fans, there are people who are in it for the culture. And we need to serve them with compelling stories and content and build that momentum." Separately, NBC Sports discussed its major deal with the NBA, which will broadcast on NBC from Sunday to Tuesday nights, blending linear and streaming to maximize reach. "Sunday, we'll have a pregame and then the game," Tirico said. "Monday, there'll be games on Peacock. …Tuesday, on NBC. … We'll have an NBA game on the East Coast at 8 Eastern time and then we'll have a game for our Mountain and Pacific time zone affiliates at 8 o'clock Pacific time." "What I'm excited about is the amount of NBA that will be on broadcast TV in prime time. So you'll have a game every week on Tuesday night, which I think will be a boost for the league and really get the package off to a great start." Marshall added: "Part of what I really was hoping for and it worked out was to be on the front half of the week and so we can promote the rest of the entertainment programming that will happen on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Whereas, you know, 'Sunday Night Football,' that's what we've done for years. Now we'll actually go from 'Sunday Night Football' to 'Sunday Night Basketball' on Peacock every Monday night and Tuesday on NBC prime time." "So all of a sudden we have this huge promotional platform that's going to bring a younger, more multicultural audience to NBC that's probably been there, that's not there every week as we sit here today." In a View From the Top conversation, Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao emphasized the major growth of women's sports.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Maria Taylor Named Lead NBA & WNBA Studio Host For NBC
NBCUniversal is gearing up for its NBA coverage when it begins its long-term rights deal with the league this fall, tapping sports broadcaster Maria Taylor as lead studio host for both the NBA and WNBA. Taylor will host NBC Sports' NBA studio shows on Sunday and Tuesday nights alongside analysts Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter on NBC and Peacock. Along with the studio gig, Taylor will also host select WNBA games on NBC and Peacock in 2026, according to Advertisement More from Deadline The NBA on NBC and Peacock will spotlight national coverage of regional doubleheaders on Tuesday nights beginning in October. After Sunday Night Football coverage concludes in Jan. 2026, NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1. Peacock will also livestream exclusive national Monday night games starting this fall. Taylor has been the lead host of Football Night in America since 2022. Taylor has also hosted for the Tokyo, Beijing, and Paris Olympics; Big Ten College Countdown and NBC Sports' primetime college football studio program among others. Due to her new NBA role, Taylor will no longer host Big Ten College Countdown. A new host will be announced soon. Advertisement Taylor won a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Live Special – Championship Event as part of NBCUniversal's coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. 'I'm deeply honored to be part of NBC Sports' incredible legacy covering the NBA and to return to the game that first captured my heart, women's basketball,' said Taylor. 'To know that I'll spend the next five years with my NBC family telling the stories of the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the NBA Playoffs, and the WNBA Finals is more than a dream come true — it's a full-circle moment.' Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Michael Jordan's mysterious NBA return sparks intrigue as his new role remains cloaked in uncertainty
In a surprising move, Michael Jordan is joining NBC Sports as a special contributor to its NBA coverage when the 2025-26 season begins. NBC also confirmed it has hired Michael Jordan to contribute to its NBA coverage, which tips off later this year. NBC made the announcement on Monday morning during its upfront presentation at Radio City Music Hall previewing the networks offerings during the upcoming television season. 'I am so excited to see the NBA back on NBC,' Jordan said during a video message. 'The NBA on NBC was a meaningful part of my career, and I'm excited about being a special contributor to the project. I'm looking forward to seeing you all when the NBA on NBC launches this October.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 세계 1위 수면시간, 핀란드인들이 먹는 XXXX주스? 수면연구원 김민재 더 알아보기 Undo Michael Jordan's comeback at NBC NBC announced Jordan's involvement during its upfront presentation at Radio City Music Hall, highlighting the network's renewed 11-year, $76 billion deal with the NBA and WNBA. Jordan expressed enthusiasm about the NBA's return to NBC, recalling the network's significance during his playing career, particularly when NBC held rights from 1990 to 2002 and covered all six of his championship wins with the Chicago Bulls. Live Events ALSO READ: Hundreds of Voice of America contractors face mass job losses in Trump's latest crackdown NBC's new broadcasting agreement includes exclusive streaming of Monday night games on Peacock, regional Tuesday doubleheaders, and the launch of "Sunday Night Basketball" in January. The network also plans to revive the iconic "Roundball Rock" theme song by John Tesh, adding a nostalgic touch to its coverage. Jordan's addition to NBC's team, which already features NBA legend Carmelo Anthony as an in-studio analyst and commentators like Mike Tirico, Noah Eagle, Jamal Crawford, and Reggie Miller, is expected to significantly boost viewership and engagement for NBA broadcasts. NBC is returning to NBA coverage after a 23-year hiatus. The network previously held NBA broadcasting rights from 1990 to 2002, airing all six of Michael Jordan's championship victories with the Chicago Bulls. This marks the first time Jordan is formally partnering with a network. His impactful appearances and candid remarks in the 2020 documentary The Last Dance, which chronicled his career and the Bulls' final championship run in 1998, generated widespread attention. 'Michael's legacy both on and off the court speaks for itself,' said NBC Sports President Rick Cordella. 'We're incredibly proud to have him join our coverage.' ALSO READ: Justin Bieber breaks silence on if he was a Sean Diddy victim amid latter's bombshell sex trafficking trial NBC's new 11-year deal with the NBA and WNBA kicks off in October. As part of the agreement, Peacock will exclusively stream Monday night games. NBC and Peacock will team up for regional doubleheaders on Tuesdays, and will debut Sunday Night Basketball starting in January. A mysterious absence Jordan's move into this new role remains cloaked in uncertainty. The basketball legend—renowned for his elusive public presence and mysterious aura—was conspicuously missing from NBC's first informal team meeting. His absence has fueled curiosity and speculation about the scope of his involvement and how he'll navigate the demands of day-to-day sports broadcasting. By choosing to forgo the initial gathering, Jordan has left many questioning what his participation will truly look like and how his iconic status will fit into this unfamiliar territory. (With AP inputs)
