Lee Corso, Greg Gumbel, and Pam Oliver are among ten trailblazers whose careers have shaped the television sports industry across generations. Thursday, the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2025 who will be inducted during the annual ceremony at the New York Hilton Hotel on December 16.
Hall of Fame chairman Ken Aagaard said the 19th class reflects the wide scope of excellence required to elevate the industry, from on-air personalities to technical innovators and executives who reshaped the business.
“Every sports broadcast on TV is a collective effort, with excellence required from the entire production team as well as the executives that drive the business and the leagues,” Aagaard said. “Once again our voting pool of more than 130 industry leaders has delivered a first-rate class, and the evening of Dec. 16 promises to be special.”
The 2025 class includes legendary broadcaster Greg Gumbel, ESPN mainstay Lee Corso, pioneering ESPN technical director Marc Herklotz, Fox Sports reporter Pam Oliver, Turner Sports executive David Levy, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Sony engineering leader Hiroshi Kiriyama, longtime producer Curt Gowdy Jr., sports media innovator Glenn Adamo, and ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen.
Each inductee left a distinctive mark on how fans consume sports. Gumbel became one of the most respected studio and play-by-play voices in television, calling NFL, NBA, and Olympic events while serving as a fixture on CBS’s March Madness coverage for more than two decades.
Corso, who retired this past weekend after nearly 40 years with ESPN, helped make College GameDay an institution through his charisma and signature headgear picks.
Oliver’s reporting career made her one of the most recognizable sideline voices in NFL coverage. She broke barriers as one of the longest-tenured sideline reporters on network television while also covering the NBA and college sports. Levy, meanwhile, spent three decades at Turner, steering media rights deals with the NBA, MLB, NCAA Tournament, and PGA Tour. His leadership also pushed Turner Sports into digital expansion through Bleacher Report and multi-platform agreements.
Innovation was a common theme in this year’s class. Herklotz set technical standards at ESPN for more than 30 years, including the creation of the network’s replay wipe in the 1990s. Kiriyama, Sony’s recently retired CTO, guided development of industry-defining broadcast cameras, including 4K and 8K technology, and oversaw groundbreaking cinema and production systems.
Adamo brought vision to both league and network roles. His fingerprints are on everything from NHL Productions to the creation of NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and Thursday Night Football. Rasmussen, meanwhile, stands as one of sports television’s greatest visionaries. As ESPN’s founder, his creation of SportsCenter and ability to secure advertisers set the foundation for cable sports.
Gowdy Jr. spent nearly three decades with ABC Sports before leading SNY, where he oversaw acclaimed Mets coverage and helped build one of the top regional sports networks in the country. His career featured innovation in production, from wireless microphones on jockeys to landmark Olympic broadcasts.
Jones, best known as the Cowboys’ owner, also shaped how the NFL partnered with television networks. His role in the landmark 1993 deal that brought Fox into the NFL mix helped redefine sports media economics and expanded the league’s reach to new audiences.
Together, the Class of 2025 illustrates the broad spectrum of roles that power sports television. From front-facing broadcasters to engineers, producers, executives, and team owners, their collective work transformed how fans experience games and events.
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