Behind The Mic: Dick Vitale and Charles Barkley Team Up to Call Select College Hoops Games; Pamela Maldonado Inks Extension With ESPN
Story Highlights
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, Rebecca Lowe joins FOX Sports broadcast team for the FIFA World Cup 2026; the Inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games shares on-air talent for primetime showing; and more.
Broadcast Talent Announced for Inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games December 17 in Primetime on Golf Channel And USA Network
Golf Channel announces the commentary teams for the inaugural Optum Golf Channel Games – the live, made-for-TV primetime event on Golf Channel and USA Network on Dec. 17 at Trump National Golf Club Jupiter, featuring Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler leading four-man teams competing in a series of unique challenges.
Current PGA TOUR player Keith Mitchell will serve as an analyst for coverage of the Optum Golf Channel Games alongside longtime Golf Channel commentator Steve Sands, who will provide play-by-play commentary.
Smylie Kaufman, Brad Faxon, and Johnson Wagner will serve as on-course commentators, providing insight and live interviews with players throughout the event.
Wagner will also contribute pre-and post-show analysis with Anna Jackson, who will anchor studio coverage on-site from Trump National Golf Club Jupiter. Golf media personality and University of Miami commit Kai Trump will be a special contributor to the broadcast, participating in challenge tutorials with Wagner as well as the trophy ceremony.
Emmy award-winning producers Mark Loomis and Chris Maguire will team up with Emmy award-winning director Jeff Jastrow to produce the first-of-its-kind television event. The Optum Golf Channel Games are being launched in association with PGA TOUR Studios and were created in partnership with EverWonder Studio and producer Bryan Zuriff.
The Optum Golf Channel games will feature two teams of four, captained by McIlroy and Scheffler, respectively, competing in a never-before-seen format. McIlroy’s team consists of Shane Lowry, Luke Donald and Haotong Li, while Scheffler will lead Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns and Luke Clanton. The five challenges these teams will compete in are the Timed Drive Competition, Timed Short Game Competition, 14-Club Challenge, Timed Shootout, and Captain’s Challenge.
Acclaimed Presenter Rebecca Lowe Joins FOX Sports’ Broadcast Team for FIFA World Cup 2026
FOX Sports, America’s English-language home for the FIFA World Cup 2026, announces celebrated host and presenter Rebecca Lowe will join the network’s broadcast team as one of its hosts covering the world’s greatest sporting event next year. The announcement was made by FOX Sports President of Production & Operations/Executive Producer Brad Zager.
“FOX Sports is thrilled to welcome Rebecca to our team for FIFA World Cup 2026,” says Zager. “Rebecca is a world-class presenter and one of the most respected and revered voices in the global soccer landscape. We look forward to having her help lead the conversation among our roster of esteemed broadcasters and are grateful to NBC Sports for granting Rebecca the opportunity to cover the tournament with FOX.”
Lowe brings a wealth of experience over her expansive award-winning career to FOX Sports, currently serving as host of NBC Sports’ Premier League and covering six straight Olympic Games and the Kentucky Derby since joining the network over 12 years ago in 2013.
From 2009 to 2012, Lowe co-hosted ESPN U.K.’s Premier League coverage and ESPN’s U.S. presentation of FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 and UEFA EURO 2012 . Lowe also hosted FA Cup live games for ESPN U.K. and in May 2012 became the first woman on British television to present the FA Cup Final live from Wembley Stadium.
Her broadcast television career began in 2002 with the BBC in the U.K. where she contributed to the network’s soccer programming as a reporter working on flagship shows and covering marquee events including the FIFA World Cup 2006 and UEFA Women’s EURO 2005 .
“To have the chance to host the FIFA World Cup – the greatest event on Earth – in my adopted home country and help to continue to spread the word of the beautiful game across the U.S. is truly a dream,” says Lowe. “I’m so thankful to both NBC and FOX and am already counting down the days until the tournament kicks off next summer.”
CBS Sports’ Colt Knost Elevated to Analyst, Joining Jim Nantz, Trevor Immelman and Frank Nobilo in Golf Super Tower
CBS Sports’ golf broadcast team will have a new look in 2026. Colt Knost has been elevated to analyst, joining the network’s Super Tower alongside host Jim Nantz, lead analyst Trevor Immelman and fellow analyst Frank Nobilo.
Knost initially began working select events for CBS Sports in 2019 as an on-course reporter prior to joining the network’s team full-time in 2021 in the same role.
“Colt has become a valued voice on our team, bringing insight, energy, and his engaging personality to every broadcast,” says Harold Bryant, Executive Producer and Executive Vice President Production, CBS Sports. “Elevating him alongside Jim, Trevor, and Frank in our Super Tower is a natural next step that reflects the trust and respect he’s earned.”
Complementing the Network’s announcers in the Super Tower, Dottie Pepper will continue to serve as lead on-course reporter alongside on-course reporter Mark Immelman, with Amanda Balionis handling interviews.
CBS Sports’ 2026 PGA TOUR season begins at Torrey Pines with the Farmers Insurance Open on Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1, with multiplatform coverage airing on the CBS Television Network and streaming live on Paramount+. The 2026 PGA TOUR season will culminate on CBS and Paramount+, with the Network showcasing third and final round coverage of all three FedExCup Playoffs events in August, including the season-ending TOUR Championship from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
ESPN Extends Sports Betting Analyst Pamela Maldonado
ESPN has reached a multi-year extension with sports betting analyst Pamela Maldonado. Maldonado, who was hired in Aug. 2024 on a non-exclusive basis, will be exclusively with ESPN as of Dec. 1.
She will continue to provide sports betting coverage and analysis for college football, NFL, golf and tennis, primarily for ESPN.com’s betting editorial coverage.
“Pamela has elevated our sports betting coverage by using a combination of extensive sports knowledge, analytical research and entertainment,” says Andrew Feldman, Senior Deputy Editor at ESPN.com. “We’re glad to have her back as we continue to provide fans with the best-in-class sports betting coverage they seek from our analysts.”
Says Maldonado, “I’m grateful to keep building with ESPN. This is a place that values preparation and perspective, and that’s the work that drives me. I’m proud of what we’ve built so far and motivated to keep bringing clarity and real insights to the sports betting space.”
Legendary Hoops Icons Dick Vitale and Charles Barkley Team Up for Two Must-See College Basketball Telecasts this Season
USA Sports Announces 2025-26 Atlantic 10 College Basketball Schedule & Commentators
Studio coverage on USA Network will be hosted by Lisa Kerney alongside analyst Dalen Cuff. Kerney, a former college basketball player at Lynn University, has previously hosted SportsCenter on ESPN and served as a host and reporter at MLB Network, FanDuel TV, and more. Cuff, a guard at Columbia from 2002-06, has served as a college basketball analyst at ESPN, ACC Network, The Field of 68, and more.
The broadcasting pairs of Steve Burkowski (play-by-play) and Tim McCormick (analyst) and Steve Schlanger (play-by-play) and John Giannini (analyst) will call the majority of USA Sports’ A-10 matchups this season.
A longtime play-by-play announcer for Golf Channel, Burkowski previously served as the play-by-play announcer for the University of South Carolina’s women’s basketball team and has called A-10 and Big Ten college basketball games for NBC Sports, while McCormick, the No. 12 overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft out of Michigan, played eight seasons in the NBA and has called college basketball games, including the A-10, for NBC Sports and ESPN.
Schlanger has been a play-by-play announcer for more than 30 different sports for various networks, including calling Atlantic 10 basketball for NBC Sports, and Giannini, a head coach in the Atlantic 10 at LaSalle for 14 seasons – including leading the Explorers to the Sweet 16 in 2013 – has served as an analyst on A-10 and college basketball games since 2018.
Additionally, play-by-play voices Jack Benjamin, Mike Corey, Joe Castellano, and Jason Knapp, and game analysts Zendon Hamilton, Edona Thaqi, and Derek Whittenberg will contribute to this season’s coverage on USA Network.
TNT Sports Unveils World Class Commentators for First-Ever World Sevens Football 7v7 Soccer Tournament in North America – Coverage Kicks Off Friday, Dec. 5
TNT Sports announces its world-class talent roster for English-language U.S. coverage of the upcoming World Sevens Football 7v7 Soccer Tournament Friday, Dec. 5 through Sunday, Dec. 7, live on TNT, truTV, and HBO Max.
The fast-paced W7F series has redefined women’s soccer with elite talent from eight of the best clubs in the world, an immersive fan-first experience, and a groundbreaking $5 million prize pool, the largest in the sport, designed to fuel intense, high-stakes competition.
In a similar innovative spirit, TNT Sports’ coverage will be presented in a non-traditional fashion with veteran play-by-play voices Aly Trost-Martin and Lisa Carlin calling the action while orchestrating a more free-flowing and conversational presentation of the match. Ana Jurka will report pitch side.
Commentators will include National Soccer Hall of Famers and TNT Sports analysts Julie Foudy and Shannon Boxx, former U.S. Women’s National Team member Lori Lindsey, Olympian and TNT Sports personality Melissa Ortiz, Olympian and New Zealand National Team Captain Ali Riley, NWSL Champion Darian Jenkins and former pro Jordan Angeli.
Two current USWNT teammates and recent NWSL “Best 11” honorees will serve as analysts – Olivia Moultrie and Avery Patterson.
Good Morning and Good Night: Joe Buck Guest Anchored GMA and Called Monday Night Football on December 1
From the morning’s first broadcast to the night’s final play, Joe Buck’s Monday, December 1, marked a new twist in his remarkable career. The ESPN personality began the day as a guest anchor on Good Morning America in New York on ABC (7 a.m. ET). From there, he traveled to Foxboro, Massachusetts, and called Monday Night Football’s Giants-Patriots matchup with his regular broadcast partner, Troy Aikman, alongside Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge (8 p.m., ESPN, ESPN2, NFL+).
“Joe, together with Troy, Lisa, Laura, and our entire team, has elevated our Monday Night Football presentation,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN President of Content. “Joe’s impact on The Walt Disney Company goes well beyond the broadcast booth—he has been a tremendous ambassador for ESPN, and we continue to find new ways to leverage his talent across the company.”
Buck added, “The GMA team welcoming me back is easily the biggest surprise of the day. Experiencing that routine just a few times a year reminds me why sports will always be my main job. I appreciate GMA letting me be a small part of the show again—and a salute to our Monday Night Football team who are the real stars of our production holding down the fort in Foxboro.”
Buck previously performed double duty in 2012, calling the New York Giants–San Francisco 49ers game before covering NLCS Game 1 featuring the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants for Fox Sports—all in a single day.
NBC Olympics Announces Hosts for 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Coverage on USA Network and CNBC
NBC Olympics today announced hosts for coverage of the XXV Olympic Winter Games in Italy that will appear on CNBC and USA Network: Trenni Casey, Lindsay Czarniak, Carolyn Manno, George Savaricas, and Andrew Siciliano, who also returns as a host of the critically acclaimed Gold Zone whip-around show. The Opening Ceremony of the Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games is Feb. 6, 2026, on NBC and Peacock.
Comprehensive cable coverage of the Milan Cortina Olympics will be on USA Network and CNBC, with CNBC providing coverage on the weekends and weekdays once its business day programming concludes. Coverage on USA Network and CNBC begins Thursday, Feb. 5 with women’s hockey, mixed doubles curling, and snowboard big air competition. Additional information about Milan Cortina programming will be announced at a later date.
“We are excited to have veterans of multiple Olympics returning to serve as hosts to present the most compelling stories, news, and interviews as we take viewers from event to event throughout the Games,” says Rebecca Chatman, Vice President and Coordinating Producer, NBC Olympics Production.
Beginning in early January 2026, USA Network and CNBC will be owned and operated by Versant, a new global media and technology company spun off from Comcast NBCUniversal. NBC Olympics coverage will appear on CNBC and USA Networks pursuant to an agreement between the two companies.
USA NETWORK & CNBC HOSTS:
Trenni Casey (CNBC)
- 6th assignment with NBC Olympics, previously serving as a cable host for Paris Olympics and a reporter in Sochi, Rio, PyeongChang, and Tokyo
- A host and reporter for NBC Sports Boston since 2012, she currently hosts Arbella Early Edition weeknights at 6 p.m. ET, featuring discussions with the best voices in Boston sports
- Previously worked for MLB Network, ABC Sports, and Big Ten Network
Lindsay Czarniak (USA Network)
- 6th assignment for NBC Olympics, previously serving as a cable host for the 2024 Paris Olympics and 2022 Beijing Olympics, co-host of the On Her Turf show on Peacock for the Tokyo Olympics, sportsdesk reporter at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and reporter at the 2006 Torino Olympics
- Previously, served as host, anchor, reporter and correspondent for NBC Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports, CBS, and CNN
- Her podcast, Things No One Tells You… features discussion with major figures in sports, music, and entertainment
Carolyn Manno (USA Network)
- 8th Olympics assignment for NBC Olympics and sixth as a host. Previously was a USA Network host for the 2024 Paris Olympics, CNBC host for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Olympic Channel host for Tokyo Olympics, an NBCSN host for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics, freestyle skiing reporter at 2014 Sochi Olympics, and a multi-event reporter at the 2012 London Olympics.
- Served as host as Gold Zone made its Paralympic Games debut for Paris 2024, as well as a sled hockey reporter (2022) and studio host (2021, 2018, 2016 and 2014) for NBC Sports’ Paralympic coverage
- Serves as host for women’s college basketball on Peacock. Previously worked across numerous NBC Sports events, including NFL, NASCAR, and horse racing
- Currently a reporter and host at CNN, WNBC and the American Kennel Club.
George Savaricas (USA Network)
- 3rd NBC Olympics assignment, previously serving as golf studio host for the 2024 Paris Olympics and the Tokyo Olympics
- Currently serves as a studio host for Golf Central and Golf Today on GOLF Channel and provides play-by-play commentary on its PGA TOUR coverage
- Serves as a host of Fantasy Football Pregame at 11 a.m. ET on Peacock on NFL Sundays
Andrew Siciliano (USA Network)
- 4th Olympics with NBC Sports, previously serving as a host of Gold Zone coverage for three Olympic Games (2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, 2016 Rio Olympics and 2024 Paris Olympics)
- In addition to his USA Network role, he returns as a host of the Gold Zone whip-around show, which presents viewers with the best and most compelling moments happening at any time
- Play-by-play radio voice of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns (since 2024); hosts Yahoo Sports’ Inside Coverage NFL podcast; handled Big Ten Football play-by-play for NBC Sports this fall
- Served as host of the groundbreaking Red Zone Channel on DIRECTV (2005-2022), and spent 13 seasons as a host for NFL Network
