Cassidy Hubbarth parted ways with ESPN after 15 years with the company to take a new position with Amazon as the lead NBA sideline reporter for the company’s NBA coverage beginning next fall. She started with ESPN by appearing as a digital host across coverage of college football, college basketball, and NBA content. Eventually, however, she moved all the way up to working with analysts Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson, along with various members of the NBA on ESPN broadcasting team.
Recently, Hubbarth was a guest on Sports Media with Richard Deitsch and talked about how the news was released that she would be heading to Amazon while still working at ESPN.
“It is strange, and it was a little difficult because I was still working sidelines trying to do my job, and like I said nothing’s official yet,” said Hubbarth. “I’m kind of hard on myself on how I reacted at first. When people would come up to me and congratulate me. I’ve never been in this situation.”
Additionally, the 40-year-old reporter shared how difficult it’s been for her during the last months of her tenure at ESPN, which wrapped up on a national broadcast as Mike Breen, Doris Burke, and Richard Jefferson gave her an emotional on-air salute and best wishes during the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat play-in game earlier this month.
“I’ve been at ESPN for 15 years, I was a kid when I started at 25 years old,” noted Hubbarth. “There was like a sadness while also still trying to be present in terms of being at ESPN and talking to people and not wanting to have that relationship disappear because I’m not going to be around anymore.”
Meanwhile, Amazon’s Prime Video will be broadcasting NBA games starting next season under an 11-year media rights deal with the league, reportedly worth $1.93 billion per annum.
Looking ahead, Hubbarth talked about the excitement of joining Amazon on the top play-by-play team and calling bigger matchups than she did with ESPN.
“Being able to get that opportunity to be in a number one role, I’ve had a very fulfilling career but that’s something I’ve been reaching out towards,” said Hubbarth. “That’s a really big part of it.”
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