Behind The Mic: ESPN Expands Lead NBA Broadcast Team; TNT Sports and Reggie Miller Reach Extension
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Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition: Verne Lundquist to retire after calling his 40th Masters; Telemundo’s Zona Mixta welcomes Verónica Rodríguez as host; and more.
NBC Sports to Change Out Analysts Across Teams
After two years as NBC’s Notre Dame play-by-play voice, Jac Collinsworth is out, according to The Athletic. NBC veteran Dan Hicks will replace Collinsworth and team up with analyst Jason Garrett. Hicks previously called Notre Dame games a decade ago and is best known for his PGA Tour duties. Starting next fall, NBC plans to have Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge, who called Big Ten and NFL games this year, as the No. 1 broadcast team on all of its college football coverage.
Former NBA player Matt Barnes will no longer be part of Sacramento Kings television broadcasts on NBC Sports California. According to Sacramento Bee, Barnes won’t be part of the team’s pregame and postgame shows, on which he’s served as an analyst for three seasons. The move comes several weeks after Barnes was seen yelling at referees and confronting a student play-by-play announcer at a high school basketball game in Los Angeles.
Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer Verne Lundquist Set to Retire After Calling 40th Masters
Verne Lundquist will hang up his microphone this April after calling The Masters for the 40th time, CBS announced Wednesday. The Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer will end his legendary broadcasting career at 83 years old, and after calling some of the most iconic moments in the history of college sports and golf, plus a few other historic events.
During his 54 years in broadcasting, Lundquist has manned the announce booth at ABC Sports, CBS Sports, and Turner Sports, in addition to serving as the radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys for more than a decade. He has called more than 20 sports but is best-known today as the lead play-by-play voice of the SEC on CBS, a role that has made him one of the most recognizable personalities in the business. CLICK HERE to read his full Sports Broadcasting HOF profile.
TNT Sports and Reggie Miller Reach Long-Term Extension
TNT Sports, a division of Warner Bros. Discovery, has announced a multiyear renewal agreement with Reggie Miller that will extend the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member’s contributions on TNT Sports’ networks and platforms to more than 25 years.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have two constants in my adult life: 18 years with the Indiana Pacers and 19+ years with TNT Sports. Excited to be back and proud to be part of this amazing TEAM, let’s keep chasing history together,” says Miller.
“We’re so fortunate to have Reggie as a part of our TNT Sports family,” says Nate Smeltz, SVP, Talent Relations & Global Communications, TNT Sports. “There is no finer ambassador for the NBA and everything we bring with our coverage of the league, and we’re thrilled to extend our relationship for many years to come.”
Miller, who was also named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, is amidst his 19th season with TNT Sports, serving as a game analyst for NBA on TNT’s regular season, NBA All-Star, and NBA Playoffs coverage, through the Conference Finals. He has called more than 650 national NBA regular season and playoff games throughout his television broadcasting career — fifth all-time among color commentators — including 13 NBA Conference Finals. He will be calling his 17th NBA All-Star Game for TNT this Sunday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. ET from Indianapolis.
With NBA All-Star taking place in Indiana for the first time since 1985, TNT and Max’s B/R Sports Add-On will also simulcast Indiana Glory this Saturday, Feb. 17, at 4:30 p.m., an hour-long NBA All-Star special featuring a rare and expansive sit-down conversation between three of the greatest players in NBA history with Indiana ties — Miller, native son Larry Bird and Hoosiers legend Isiah Thomas.
Before joining TNT Sports in 2005, Miller was one of the most prolific shooters in NBA history. He played his entire 18-year career with the Pacers (1987-2005), with his lethal three-point shooting helping the organization to become a perennial playoff threat. He retired with a then-NBA record 2,560 career three-pointers (now ranked 4th all-time). Miller was also the first Indiana Pacer to start in an NBA All-Star Game (1995), and was selected to the All-Star team in 1990, 1996, 1998 and 2000.
He was a member of the gold medal-winning Olympic men’s basketball team in 1996 — alongside current TNT Sports colleagues Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Grant Hill — and Team USA for the 1994 and 2002 World Championships.
Miller attended UCLA and was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 11th pick of the 1987 NBA Draft. Miller was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012.
Telemundo’s Zona Mixta Welcomes Verónica Rodríguez as Host
JJ Redick Joins Mike Breen, Doris Burke and Lisa Salters on ESPN’s Lead NBA Broadcast Team
David Roberts, ESPN Head of Event and Studio Production: “JJ Redick is one of the most versatile and knowledgeable analysts covering the NBA. He watches every NBA game and studies all aspects of the key players and teams across the league. That commitment will only enhance our first-class presentation, which includes hall of fame broadcasters and teammates Mike Breen and Doris Burke, along with courtside reporter Lisa Salters. This lead team will entertain and inform fans at the highest level.”
Redick joined ESPN at the start of the 2021-22 season. The all-time leading scorer at Duke University went on to play 15 seasons in the NBA, appearing in the 2009 NBA Finals on ABC as a member of the Orlando Magic.
NBC Sports California Names Jenny Cavnar as A’s Play-by-Play Announcer
NBC Sports California has named Jenny Cavnar the primary play-by-play announcer for its live-game coverage of the Oakland Athletics, it was announced Tuesday.
The 20-year media veteran, who has 17 years of experience covering baseball, becomes the first female primary play-by-play voice in Major League Baseball history. She will call a majority of A’s games.
For the past 12 years, Cavnar has served as a backup play-by-play announcer, pregame and postgame host, and reporter for regional TV coverage of the Colorado Rockies. During her tenure covering the Rockies, she became the first woman in a quarter century to call TV play-by-play for an MLB game in 2018, and in 2015, she was the first woman to provide analysis for a National League series on radio. She previously covered the San Diego Padres for nearly five years as a reporter and anchor.
“Jenny is a very talented announcer with significant experience covering baseball,” says Matt Murphy, President and General Manager of NBC Sports California and NBC Sports Bay Area. “She’s been a groundbreaking professional who’s earned the admiration of fans and her peers throughout her career. We’re very excited for her to join our excellent team and lead our A’s coverage starting this season.”
Cavnar also is a regular contributor to MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM throughout the regular season and postseason. She also calls men’s and women’s college basketball on FS1 and Pac 12 Networks. A five-time Emmy Award recipient, Cavnar became the first woman to be named Colorado Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association (NSMA) in 2021.
“It is a dream come true to join the broadcast team for the Oakland A’s and their rich baseball history,” Cavnar says. “Growing up the daughter of a baseball coach, I have loved the game from a young age, along with the stories, history and relationships the game provides. I’m excited to start my 18th season as a major league broadcaster with my good friend, Dallas Braden, and share our experiences with the loyal fans of the Athletics as we go on this ride together.”
Cavnar has covered several other teams and sports as a reporter, anchor and host. She has served as a host covering the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, co-hosted an Olympics show and spent nearly five years as a sideline reporter and show contributor covering San Diego State University athletics.
