Because it prepares to broadcast NBA video games once more for the primary time in many years, NBC will seemingly be turning to a family identify to anchor its protection.
Richard Deistch of The Athletic reports this week that Mike Tirico is anticipated to function NBC’s lead play-by-play voice for NBA video games (citing a dialog with NBC Sports activities president Rick Cordella). Deitsch provides that NBC may have a number of different sport groups and studio analysts as nicely.
The information comes after the NBA formally introduced this week that it has reached an settlement with NBC (and its streaming service Peacock) to telecast NBA video games starting with the 2025-26 season and persevering with by way of the 2035-36 season. Separate broadcast rights agreements had been additionally reached with Amazon and ESPN/ABC (the latter of which is a renewal).
Tirico, 57, is sportscasting veteran who first rose to fame as an anchor for ESPN’s “SportsCenter” again in 1991. He remained with ESPN by way of 2016 (doing play-by-play work for a number of sports activities) after which formally joined NBC. Amongst Tirico’s many duties for NBC, he’s the lead play-by-play announcer for “Sunday Night time Soccer” in addition to the lead primetime host for each the Summer time and the Winter Olympics.
For basketball followers who grew up with the Marv Albert-Mike Fratello crew anchoring the “NBA on NBC” within the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s, Tirico may have massive footwear to fill. However the followers will be getting a good dose of nostalgia regardless and might now sit up for Tirico because the lead voice for 2025-26 and past.