Behind The Mic: NBCUniversal Announces Additions to Paris Olympic Games 2024 Coverage Team; Including Leslie Jones, Sam Brock, Willie Geist & More

Behind The Mic: NBCUniversal Announces Additions to Paris Olympic Games 2024 Coverage Team; Including Leslie Jones, Sam Brock, Willie Geist & More

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Friday, May 10, 2024 - 9:00 am
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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, Dale Earnhardt Jr. to join Prime Video’s NASCAR broadcast team; NBC Sports announce commentary team for 124th U.S. Open; and more.

Prime Video Welcomes Dale Earnhardt Jr. to its NASCAR Broadcast Booth

Prime Video announces that NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. will join its broadcast booth when the streamer launches its exclusive NASCAR Cup Series coverage in 2025. Earnhardt Jr., a NASCAR Hall of Famer and a two-time Daytona 500 Champion, will be utilized in a number of capacities throughout Prime Video’s coverage, with specifics to be announced in the coming months.

“I’m honored to be a part of Prime Video’s entrance into NASCAR,” says Earnhardt Jr. “It is an exciting opportunity to have the chance to give our NASCAR fan base yet another way to watch the sport. It will be exciting to see the innovation that Prime Video is going to bring to our sport and the fans.”

A native of Kannapolis, N.C., Earnhardt is deeply rooted to the sport of stock-car racing. He is a third-generation professional driver, and amassed 26 career victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, including two at the famed Daytona 500 (2004, 2014). He won a record 15 straight NASCAR Most Popular Driver awards from 2003 to 2017, and consecutive NASCAR Busch Series Championships in 1998 and 1999. Earnhardt was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2021. His father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., won seven Cup titles and 76 Cup races in his storied career.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dale as an official member of the Amazon family, and build our NASCAR coverage around him,” says Jared Stacy, Director of Global Live Sports Production, Prime Video. “One of the most beloved figures in racing history, Dale has an unrivaled passion for the sport. We are so excited for him to connect with NASCAR fans next season on Prime Video.”

In addition to his role on Prime Video, Earnhardt, Jr. will also be part of TNT Sports’ NASCAR programming.

Starting in 2025, Prime Video will exclusively stream five NASCAR Cup Series races to conclude the first half of the Cup season. Prime Video will also present exclusive coverage of practice and qualifying for almost the entire first half of the NASCAR Cup Series season (excluding the Busch Light Clash, DAYTONA 500, Duel at Daytona, and NASCAR All-Star Race).

Leslie Jones, Olympics Super Fan, Comedian and Actress, to Join NBCUniversal’s Coverage of Paris Olympic Games This Summer

Comedian and actress Leslie Jones will join NBCUniversal’s coverage as chief super fan commentator of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris this summer, it was announced today.
Reprising her role from the 2018 PyeongChang and 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Jones will attend live Olympic events, meet athletes, and spread her enthusiasm for the Olympics across NBC, Peacock, and additional NBCUniversal linear and digital platforms, while also posting on her own social media handles during the coverage in Paris.
“We are excited to welcome Leslie back to our Olympic team,” says Rebecca Chatman, coordinating producer, NBC Olympics. “She is a passionate fan of Team USA, and we can’t wait to hear from her at events and sites across Paris.”
“It’s about that time people, for the 2024 Olympics, and I’m pumped to be heading to Paris to report on Team USA,” Jones exclaims. “These athletes train for years to compete at the highest level, and I’m so excited to be back in the seat with NBCUniversal, cheering for Team USA and serving as chief super fan commentator. USA!! SLAY ALL DAY!! LET’S GOOOOOO!!”
During the 2016 Rio Olympics, Jones had been live-tweeting her Olympic viewing experience, along with witty commentary and words of support for Team USA. At the start of the Games, Jones posted on Twitter a video of herself decked out in the American flag and wearing plastic gold medals, cheering for Team USA and displaying her love for the Olympics. Upon seeing this, NBC Sports invited Jones to Rio.
Jones is an NAACP Image Award winner, and a three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live between 2014-19. She recently had movie roles in Goodburger 2 and Coming 2 America. In 2017, Jones hosted the BET Awards and was included on TIME magazine’s list of 100 most influential people.

NBC News’ Sam Brock, Willie Geist, Steve Kornacki, Gadi Schwartz & Anne Thompson Join NBCUniversal’s Coverage of Olympic Games Paris 2024

NBC News’ Sam Brock, Willie Geist, Steve Kornacki, Gadi Schwartz, and Anne Thompson will join the NBCUniversal broadcast team for its coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 this summer, it was announced today. The Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics is Friday, July 26 on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.
NBC News’ acclaimed journalists Brock, Geist, Schwartz and Thompson will serve as reporters on site in Paris, while Kornacki will offer analysis stateside. The reporter roster will also include Kira K. Dixon from NBC Sports/GOLF Channel and Naoko Funayama of WCVB-TV in Boston.
“We are excited to have an experienced group of reporters out in the city to capture the energy, excitement, and allure of Paris, as well as the important news that always surrounds the Games,” says Rebecca Chatman, Vice President and Coordinating Producer of NBC Olympics Production.
Following is a closer look at these correspondents, reporters and contributors:
Sam Brock
  • 3rd Olympics overall, previously serving as a sportsdesk reporter at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and the Tokyo Olympics
  • NBC News correspondent
  • Brock’s reports appear across NBC News’ programs and platforms including NBC Nightly News, TODAY, MSNBC and NBC News NOW
Kira K. Dixon
  • Making Olympics debut, will serve as a sportsdesk reporter
  • Joined NBC Sports in 2021 as a reporter on GOLF Channel’s PGA TOUR coverage, later adding studio hosting responsibilities and reporting on additional events including swimming
 Willie Geist
  • 4th Olympics overall with NBC Sports, previously serving as a reporter at the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018, host of NBCSN’s coverage at the 2012 London Olympics, and a reporter at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He also covered the 2010 Vancouver Olympics for MSNBC and TODAY
  • Host of NBC News’ Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist and co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe
Naoko Funayama
  • 3rd Olympics overall with NBC Sports, previously serving as ski jumping and cross-country skiing reporter at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and as a sportsdesk reporter at the Tokyo Olympics
  • Serves as sports reporter for WCVB-TV (ABC) in Boston, and has covered sports in New England for more than a decade
Steve Kornacki
  • 3rd Olympics overall with NBC Sports, previously serving as a commentator for the 2022 PyeongChang Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics
  • NBC News and MSNBC national political correspondent, providing real-time analysis of voting patterns, exit polls and electoral data
  • Has brought his election-style coverage to NBC Sports’ Football Night in America to break down the NFL playoff picture, and has served as an insights analyst on NBC Sports’ horse racing coverage, including last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
Gadi Schwartz
  • 3rd Olympics overall with NBC Sports, previously serving as reporter at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics
  • Anchor of Stay Tuned NOW with Gadi Schwartz on NBC News’ 24/7 streaming news service, NBC News NOW, and NBC News correspondent based in Los Angeles
Anne Thompson
  • 5th consecutive Olympics with NBC Sports, previously serving as a reporter in Beijing, Tokyo, PyeongChang and Rio. She also covered the 2014 Sochi Olympics for NBC News
  • NBC News’ chief environmental affairs correspondent
  • Thompson’s reports appear across all NBC News platforms including NBC Nightly News, TODAY, NBC News NOW, MSNBC and NBCNews.com

Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine, Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann to Call May 15 Atlanta Braves Game on Bally Sports South

Bally Sports announces Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine, Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann will be together in the broadcast booth for the Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves game on Wednesday, May 15.The telecast will feature a mix of the “90’s Braves” era with MLB Hall of Famers Glavine and Jones and the “Baby Braves” era with Francoeur and McCann. The four Braves icons will present the game as if they were together in their own living room sharing stories and breaking down the play of the two teams.

“When we started this special telecast with Chipper, Glav, Smoltzy and Frenchy last season; fans from across Braves Nation most commonly described the show as ‘Epic’,” says Jeff Genthner, Senior Vice President, General Manager of Bally Sports South. “On May 15, we’re doing it again with Brian McCann joining the booth in place of John Smoltz, who will be celebrating his birthday that day. We anticipate the same unpredictable party-like atmosphere of Braves baseball coverage and wish Brian the best in holding his ground in the booth with his former teammates. 

The first telecast featuring Jones, Glavine, Francoeur and Smoltz on June 8 of last year gained national recognition with a Cynopsis Sports Media Award and was nominated for a Southeast Emmy Award. When the same four teammate-broadcasters returned to the booth on August 23, that telecast was one of the top three-rated games of the season for the regional sports networks.

During their MLB careers, Jones, Glavine, Francoeur and McCann combined to play 68 MLB seasons with 52 of those in a Braves uniform. All four of them started their careers in the Braves organization. Their career accolades include two World Series Championships, two Cy Young awards, 25 All-Star game selections and 14 consecutive division titles from 1991-2005.

Coverage on May 15 will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET with the Braves LIVE pregame show, hosted by Treavor Scales alongside analyst Peter Moylan. Additional coverage will be available on the network’s social media platforms: @BravesOnBally on Twitter and @BallySportsSO on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

Bally Sports’ regular play-by-play announcer Brandon Gaudin and analyst C.J. Nitkowski will be given the night off. There will not be a sideline reporter for this game.

Entertainment Anchor Jessica Carillo Joins Miguel Gurwitz for Telemundo’s Coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024

Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the Olympic Games in the U.S., welcomes Al Rojo Vivo anchor Jessica Carrillo as a cohost for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris this summer alongside Emmy award-winning sports anchor Miguel Gurwitz.
“We are delighted to have Jessica joining us again as co-host for our presentation of the Paris Olympics. Together, Jessica and Miguel will immerse the Hispanic audience in the heart of Paris, bringing our viewers up to speed on the latest Olympic news, events, culture, cuisine, and more,” says Eli Velazquez, Executive Vice President of Sports at Telemundo.
Carrillo and Gurwitz kick off Telemundo’s coverage, live from Paris, on Wednesday, July 24 with the start of the Olympic Football Tournaments. Later, the highly talented team takes on the network’s first-ever live coverage of the Opening Ceremony on Telemundo on July 26 starting at 1 p.m. ET.
Unlike any other, the Opening Ceremony in Paris will take place on the River Seine with a four-mile-long flotilla of nearly 100 boats that will carry thousands of athletes through the heart of the city and finish at the Eiffel Tower. Telemundo’s host position for the ceremony will be located at the historic Trocadero across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.
“I am thrilled to be joining my colleague, Miguel Gurwitz, to once again co-host the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics,” says Jessica Carrillo, co-host of Telemundo’s Al Rojo Vivo. “I am a huge fan of the Summer Olympic Games and I look forward to sharing the inspiring stories of all the people, entertainment, and culture with our Telemundo viewers directly from beautiful Paris.”
Jessica Carrillo is the cohost of Telemundo’s news magazine show, “Al Rojo Vivo”. Carrillo has also hosted important Telemundo productions, including the red carpet of “Billboard Latin Music Awards,” “Latin American Music Awards,” Rio 2016 Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup in Russia and Qatar, as well as cohost of “Don Francisco Te Invita,” “Miss Universe” and network news specials, among others.
Originally from Teocaltiche, Jalisco, Mexico she joined Telemundo in Las Vegas in 2004 as a news and weather reporter, and co-host of the local newscast. In 2011, she joined Telemundo Los Angeles’ “Acceso Total,” where she accomplished exclusive interviews with numerous Hollywood stars.
The team of experts and commentators joining Carrillo and Gurwitz for the Paris Olympics’ coverage will be announced at a later date.

NBC Sports Announces Commentary Team for 124th U.S. Open from Pinehurst Across NBC, Peacock and USA Network

NBC Sports announces its commentary team for the upcoming 124th U.S. Open on June 13-16 at Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 2) across NBC Sports, Peacock and USA Network.
NBC Sports’ commentator parings are led by long-time lead golf play-by-play voice Dan Hicks alongside analyst Brandel Chamblee, and Mike Tirico working alongside analyst Brad Faxon.
NBC Sports’ U.S. Open broadcast team includes the returns of Jim “Bones” Mackay and Roger Maltbie as on-course reporters and Gary Koch as an analyst.
“This year we began utilizing an odd/even system of hole assignments for our commentator pairings,” says Sam Flood, executive producer and president, production, NBC Sports. “Our new approach lets our play-by-play announcers give more context for what’s happening, while creating more opportunities for our analysts and on-course reporters to engage with each other and break down the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ before and after each moment.”
124TH U.S. OPEN BROADCAST TEAM
Play-by-Play/Analyst Pairings
  • Dan Hicks/Brandel Chamblee
  • Mike Tirico/Brad Faxon
  • Terry Gannon/Notah Begay III
  • Steve Sands/Gary Koch
  • Rich Lerner/Curt Byrum
  • Tom Abbott/Arron Oberholser
On-Course Reporters
  • John Wood / Smylie Kaufman / Jim “Bones” Mackay / Roger Maltbie / Paige Mackenzie / Curt Byrum
Interviews
  • Damon Hack / Kira K. Dixon

Brett Haber Agrees to Five-Year Contract Extension Deal with The Tennis Channel

Tennis Channel and commentator Brett Haber have agreed to a contract extension that will keep one of the network’s most prominent faces on air through 2028. Haber, who first appeared on Tennis Channel at the 2004 BNP Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., has seen his role expand to become one of the network’s lead play-by-play announcers and studio hosts throughout the year. This month the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning sportscaster is part of the network’s coverage of the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open – often called “fifth slams” for their importance just behind the four majors.

“I’m so proud of how we’ve grown Tennis Channel to become this country’s year-round home of this sport,” says Haber. “There’s never been a better time to be a tennis fan, with almost everything in the pro game available daily on Tennis Channel, our free channel T2 or Tennis Channel Plus. This is an exciting moment for longtime fans and those new to our sport, and I’m thrilled to continue as part of the team.”

Haber’s influence through tennis is wide-ranging in his duties with Tennis Channel and beyond. During his time with the network, he has appeared during its coverage of the four majors – Australian Open, Roland Garros (commonly referred to as the French Open), Wimbledon and the US Open – as well as other men’s and women’s tour and team cup events. Since 2014, Haber has been an ambassador for the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the Master of Ceremonies for its enshrinement weekend, an event carried live nationally on Tennis Channel. He has also been a brand ambassador for Nike Tennis for close to 25 years, promoting the sport around the country. In 2012 and 2016 he was also part of NBC’s Olympics team, calling matches and hosting the network’s studio coverage for the sport.

“Brett is a consummate professional and his talent, intense preparation and dedication help tennis fans appreciate the game year-round like never before,” says Bob Whyley, senior vice president, content production, and executive producer. “His sense of humor, tireless energy and great rapport with the rest of our on-air talent team shine through in every broadcast.”

Haber’s broadcasting career spans more than 30 years and he boasts an extensive resume, covering multiple sports beyond tennis. He has been an anchor on ESPN’s SportsCenter, where he was part of a team that won two Emmy Awards. He has also covered the NFL and the men’s NCAA basketball tournament for CBS, and served as sports director at WCBS-TV in New York and WUSA-TV in his adopted hometown of Washington, D.C. Haber has received numerous industry accolades, including 17 Emmy Awards and the ATP’s Ron Bookman Award, given to the world’s top tennis journalist. Haber lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife Kim, their four children and their Pit-mix rescue dog “Kilwin.”

 

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