With the NBA’s new media rights deals beginning next season, there have been many rumors about talent which will be needed for NBC, Amazon’s Prime Video and also at ESPN even though they are not a new partner. A report from Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy says former NBA star Carmelo Anthony is having discussions with both NBC and Amazon about game analyst and studio positions.
McCarthy reports Anthony is “talking to everybody” per his sources, and notes some sources are saying ESPN is also a possible landing spot. Anthony, 40, retired after the 2023 season after playing 19 years in the NBA. Anthony has launched several businesses since ending his playing days, including his own content company, creative7productions.
Other names which have been mentioned over the last few months include Dirk Nowitzki, Dwayne Wade, Jamal Crawford and Blake Griffin.
According to a report from Richard Deitsch of The Athletic, Amazon Prime Video will hire Taylor Rooks as lead host for its NBA pregame, halftime and postgame shows which will begin next season. Rooks, who is a current sideline reporter for TNT’s NBA coverage, is already working for Prime Video, doing features during coverage of Thursday Night Football.
Ian Eagle is expected to be the lead play-by-play announcer. Eagle is currently the local voice of the Brooklyn Nets and calls NBA games for TNT Sports. He also announces the NFL and NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for CBS Sports, in addition to working NFL radio broadcasts for Westwood One.
Recently, a report has come out linking former Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki to Amazon as a place where he would start his career as a basketball analyst. In the report from Deitsch, he also names Kevin Harlan as someone he believes Amazon will pursue as a play-by-play announcer.
According to a report earlier this week from Richard Deitsch of The Athletic, Amazon Prime Video will hire Taylor Rooks as lead host for its NBA pregame, halftime and postgame shows. Ian Eagle is expected to be the lead play-by-play announcer.
Kevin Harlan has also been mentioned as someone Amazon will pursue as a play-by-play announcer.
Amazon is the brand-new member of the NBA media family along with ESPN and NBC. The streaming network will air 60 games per season as part of its contract. Prime Video will have Thursday night NBA broadcasts which will start at the conclusion of the NFL season, as well as Friday night games throughout the season.
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