ESPN has announced the signing of Quentin Richardson to serve as an NBA analyst across its coverage of the league, bringing the 13-year league veteran to the network airwaves. Under his new role, Richardson is going to be making regular appearances on SportsCenter and ESPN digital platforms where he will discuss matters taking place around the Association. The move marks the latest step in Richardson’s media career, which has included studio appearances on NBA TV and select game live streams on NBA League Pass.
In addition to his work on linear television platforms, Richardson has co-hosted the Knuckleheads podcast alongside Darius Miles, a weekly show that takes place through The Players’ Tribune. The show includes a variety of special guests, athletes and entertainers who discuss current events and stories from the world of sports and culture. This podcast has been releasing new episodes since 2019 and features a variety of compelling interviews and discussions.
The addition of Richardson comes shortly before The Walt Disney Company commences a new 11-year media rights deal with the NBA. Under the forthcoming contract, the media conglomerate will continue televising the NBA Finals on ABC, along with other playoff action and the distribution of 80 regular-season games per year. The company is also going to be sublicensing the award-winning studio program, Inside the NBA, from TNT Sports that will keep Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Shaquille O’Neal on the airwaves surrounding marquee events.
Data from Nielsen Media Research demonstrates that NBA viewership was down 5% year-over-year entering the second half of the season, averaging 1.76 million viewers on ESPN and TNT platforms. Ahead of the NBA All-Star Break, ESPN averaged 2.01 million viewers for the Los Angeles Lakers debut of superstar guard Luka Dončić, marking the most-watched NBA game on cable in over two months. ESPN has extended several of its NBA on-air talent this season, including Danny Green, Angel Gray, Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks, while also adding skilled reporters such as Shams Charania and Zach Kram.
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