There is no shortage of confidence in Dave Roberts at ESPN. He oversees production for the network’s studio programming, including First Take, PTI, SportsCenter, and more. Last year, he helped shape the overhaul of ESPN Radio’s lineup.
Now, the folks in Bristol are putting the NBA in Roberts’s hands too. ESPN’s chairman, Jimmy Pitaro, announced yesterday that Roberts will lead production of both studio and event programming for professional basketball.
“David Roberts brings both a proven track record of success and an innovative perspective,” Pitaro said in a press release. “We’ve seen what he and his teams have accomplished and look forward to David bringing his expertise and creativity to the NBA team.”
Roberts will report directly to Pitaro on NBA matters. He will continue to report to Norby Williamson, ESPN’s Executive Vice President and Executive Editor, for his other production roles.
“The NBA is immensely popular and its stars are among the most recognizable in all of sports and popular culture,” Dave Roberts said. “There are incredible storytelling opportunities every day in the NBA and I’m excited to work directly with so many talented people – on camera and behind the scenes – to serve the passionate and knowledgeable NBA fanbase.”
No doubt, one of Roberts’ first priorities is solidifying a studio crew for ESPN’s game coverage. NBA Countdown lost Paul Pierce during the season and Maria Taylor once the season ended. Sideline reporter Malika Andrews is reportedly the frontrunner to replace Taylor, but that may not be the end of the changes necessary to take ESPN’s studio product to a level that can compete with TNT’s Inside the NBA.
