Earlier this week, NBC Sports Boston announced that host/reporter Kayla Burton has joined its roster of on-air personalities. The regional network plans to use Burton’s versatility and talents across several shows, platforms, content, and new initiatives.
Burton has done some really fine work as a reporter both for ESPN and NFL Network. She has a very comfortable on-air style with a presence that dominates the screen. Burton grew up in a family with strong media and sports impact and influence but has truly paid her dues.
The national audience has become familiar with her at ESPN and NFL Network, but Burton has also worked with Western Massachusetts News based in Springfield, MA. Burton is part of a growing wave of young female reporters who are taking sports media by storm. Think Jackie Redmond, Ariel Epstein, Amina Smith, Joy Taylor, etc. The traits they share are drive, determination, and utter fearlessness.
First and foremost, Burton is a worker. On ESPN, she could often be seen patrolling the college football sidelines looking for stories, as opposed to waiting for them to come to her. Similarly, on NFL Network and its related multimedia outlets, Burton took on numerous and diverse roles and assignments. I view her as a true professional – all about doing the job and gaining experience.
Perhaps this stems from her deep sports and media roots. Her father, Steve Burton, has been a fixture in Boston sports broadcasting since 1988 and is the longtime sports reporter, anchor, and director at WBZ-TV CBS Boston. In fact, the Burtons are one of the first families of sports in Boston and New England.
In 1960, Kayla’s grandfather, Ron Burton, became the first ever draft pick of the New England Patriots, then the AFL’s Boston Patriots. He played six seasons with the Patriots and eventually moved onto an even higher calling. In 1985, he founded the Ron Burton Training Village, a camp with the mission of training youth to achieve their purpose and overcome challenges through education, leadership, physical wellness, social advancement, and spiritual growth.
Kayla Burton’s uncle, Phil Burton, also worked in sports broadcasting, and her sister Veronica currently plays for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun.
Burton’s move to NBC Sports Boston will further strengthen this long history of New England accomplishment. While some may view the move from a national network to a regional network as a step down, this is actually not the case. Local networks are not exactly local anymore, and NBC Sports Boston’s reach of over 4 million households in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont exemplifies this.
The network features top-flight programs like Arbella Early Edition, Boston Sports Tonight with hosts Michael Felger and Michael Holley, Boston Celtics and Connecticut Sun game broadcasts, Quick Slants with Tom Curran, and Football Day in New England, among others. The network also has a strong online presence at NBCSportsBoston.com and @NBCSBoston on social media.
Moreover, at NBC Sports Boston, Burton will be allowed to spread her wings as a reporter, host, and commentator. While much of the free world largely despises Boston, it remains the nation’s hottest sports city in team performance, history, and provocative personalities. Over the past 20-plus years, no sports market has had more major sports championship teams. Boston sports media has also been a pipeline for national talents like Elle Duncan, Gary Striewski, Jenny Dell, Kathryn Tappen, the aforementioned Amina Smith, and many others.
So, in taking the opposite route, what will Kayla Burton bring to New England? For starters, she possesses on-camera charisma matched by her ever-developing reporter chops and experience growing up in sports media. The fact that she achieved success at heavyweight outlets like NFL Network and ESPN in a short time and at a relatively young age is remarkable.
Burton is truly a rising star in the business and has all the tools to achieve whatever level of success she seeks. She also has an innate knowledge of New England sports that I’m sure will be utilized on NBC Sports Boston’s multimedia platforms.
In fact, it’s not so much what NBC Sports Boston can do for Burton, but what Burton can do for NBC Sports Boston. While the network has flourished with local programs and the NBA World Champion Celtics, these productions are predominantly hosted by veteran reporters or ex-players who have been around the Boston or national media scene for decades.
Burton will bring wider appeal to a more diverse audience. She brings a youthful effervescence that will shake things up at the network. Boston has long been a very parochial city when it comes to its sports media personalities. While Burton has this somewhat covered with her local background, she will be an exciting, new, and fresh face on the Boston media landscape.
In a press release announcing the hire, Burton stated, “I am truly honored and excited to be working with NBC Sports Boston, where I’m back home covering the sports city of champions.
“Being born and raised in the Boston area, I have a sincere passion for its fan base, community, and sports franchises. As a journalist, I enjoy storytelling with accuracy and authenticity. I love it here and cannot wait to get started.”
NBC Sports Boston’s VP of Content Creation and Strategy Kevin Miller added, “We are thrilled to have Kayla join us as a member of the NBC Sports Boston team. Kayla’s infectious energy for storytelling and her passion for the area as a Boston native, combined with her multiplatform experiences, will be essential as we continue to evolve our content and connect with our audiences.”
Press release quotes are like San Diego weather, always bright and sunny. Don’t get me wrong, Burton’s New England contacts and background will no doubt help her as a reporter and interviewer, but it is my hope that her national experience will allow her to offer a different perspective from her new colleagues, many of whom who have only worked in the Boston area.
Conversely, I also hope that NBC Sports Boston uses Burton’s budding talent wisely. Let her experiment with commentary and opinion and find the right vehicles for her reporting prowess. Working the sidelines for major college football and the NFL is not easy. In fact, some people still look at the role of sideline reporter as unnecessary. Burton has shown in her short time in the business that this is not true. She has been excellent in gathering information and relaying it to viewers.
Burton has grown into a capable reporter, commentator, and personality. She has also taken advantage of social media to show her personal and professional sides. There is no doubt that she will have future national opportunities, so it will be interesting to see if NBC Sports Boston is sharp enough to hold Burton’s interest and use her engaging talent in a mutually beneficial manner.
John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
