ESPN has strengthened its commitment to improving youth sports participation through its Take Back Sports initiative. The company has unveiled a new website, an animated campaign video, and announced recipients of its first Innovation Challenge grants.
The newly launched TakeBackSports.org offers parents, coaches, and caregivers practical tools to create a better youth sports experience. The site features articles, checklists, and interactive resources, including “Ten Tips for First-Time Sports Parents” and the “Ask PCA” tool for advice on navigating youth sports challenges. For a limited time, ESPN will cover registration fees for PCA’s Parent Online Courses. Included will be strategies for positive game-day communication and building productive relationships with coaches.
As part of its $5 million investment in reimagining youth sports, ESPN awarded Innovation Challenge grants to several organizations leading inclusive and transformative programs. Recipients include City Parks Foundation, Let Her Play, and the Lakeshore Foundation. All are working to reduce barriers and encourage multi-sport participation nationwide.
“Take Back Sports reflects our belief that every child deserves the chance to play and thrive through sports,” said Kevin Martinez, ESPN’s Vice President of Corporate Citizenship. “These initiatives help build a stronger, more inclusive sports culture for the next generation.”
The initiative comes at a critical time. Youth sports programs nationwide face challenges related to declining participation, financial barriers, and a growing need for inclusive environments. ESPN’s continued investment underscores the network’s broader commitment to leveraging its platform to create positive social impact. It hopes to help families, coaches, and communities foster a love of sports that emphasizes fun, development, and opportunity for all.
In partnership with Disney Jr. and Every Kid Sports, ESPN also introduced a new preschool-focused grant program. The new grant has been introduced to help families facing financial hardship enroll their children in youth sports.
The NBA returns to NBC next season as the network kicks off the first season of an 11-year broadcast rights agreement with the NBA. Less than 24 hours following the conclusion of the NBA Finals, the network has tabbed Maria Taylor as the lead studio host first reported by a report in The New York Times. Taylor will be named the lead NBA and WNBA studio host of the network’s upcoming coverage on NBC and Peacock.
Furthermore, Taylor reportedly will be hosting NBA studio programs for Sunday and Tuesday nights, while also hosting select WNBA games on NBC and Peacock when the network begins coverage of the WNBA in 2026.
“I’m deeply honored to be part of NBC Sports’ incredible legacy covering the NBA and to return to the game that first captured my heart, women’s basketball,” said Taylor. “To know that I’ll spend the next five years with my NBC family telling the stories of the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the NBA Playoffs, and the WNBA Finals is more than a dream come true — it’s a full-circle moment.”
Currently, Taylor serves as the first female full-time host of Football Night in America on NBC. In addition, she hosts the Big Ten College Countdown studio show leading into NBC Sports’ primetime Big Ten Football on Saturday nights. She has also lent her broadcast acumen to the network’s coverage of the NFL Draft, the NBA Finals, the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Super Bowl, and the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Most recently, Taylor served as the host for NBC’s late night coverage of the Paris Olympics during her summer 2024 Olympic assignment.
As a result of her NBA duties, Taylor will no longer host Big Ten College Countdown. A new host will be announced soon.
“As the host of Football Night in America and our high-profile programs, Maria has proven that she has the special ability to make her teammates better,” said Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports. “I’m excited to see her bring that same leadership and energy to this new team with Carmelo and Vince, as they build chemistry and set the stage for primetime NBA basketball each week, and the WNBA beginning next year.”
Moreover, Taylor is expected to host alongside former NBA superstars Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter on NBC, following her signing of a multi-year contract extension with the network that reportedly will last deep into the 2020s.
Previously, Taylor covered both the NBA Finals and hosted NBA Countdown at ESPN over her seven years with the network. She also contributed to ESPN’s coverage of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Looking ahead, NBC will begin airing regular season NBA basketball games in October on Tuesday nights. Upon the conclusion of the NFL season, the network will also carry games on Sundays across both NBC and Peacock.
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While consumption for the NBA Finals was averaging below 10 million viewers on linear television through its first five games, the action ended up culminating in a pivotal Game 7 wherein the Oklahoma City Thunder secured its first NBA championship in franchise history. Although the NBA Finals have been airing on ABC since 2003, there was marked criticism surrounding the ESPN coverage of the proceedings that continued to be perpetuated on Monday. Joe Rose, morning host at WQAM in Miami, Fla., acknowledged that he has had a chance to watch ESPN a lot recently and spoke about his perception of an abundance of coverage featuring Stephen A. Smith.
Smith, who is the featured commentator and executive producer of First Take, has also been a member of the NBA Countdown team for the last several seasons. ESPN recently signed Smith to a multiyear contract extension under which he will continue appearing on the morning studio debate show and across other ESPN programming. On top of that, Smith is also joining SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio where he will host a midday show ahead of Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo in afternoon drive.
“It’s an overdose of one guy,” Rose said of Smith. “Listen, he made a name on his show with the debating on all things sports, and I know he’s now dabbling in a lot of different things, but I see recently some people have just said, ‘Enough, man. Enough of Stephen A. every time you turn around, Stephen A.’s in your face. He’s on this show, he’s on that. Now he wants to have a bigger role on the NFL.’ He has all the NFL guys on his show, and I’m like, ‘Don’t. Please, please keep Stephen A. off the NFL stuff. Let him do his debating show in the morning.’”
Rose expounded on his point by addressing ESPN as a whole and called for the network to hire everyone from TNT Sports for its NBA coverage. The National Basketball Association is set to commence new 11-year media rights deals with The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC), Comcast Corporation (NBC/Peacock) and Amazon (Prime Video) that will grant the league coverage spanning broadcast, cable and streaming television platforms. Although TNT Sports will continue producing Inside the NBA to be licensed to ESPN and hold a global content license, it will no longer be presenting live game broadcasts in the United States.
“Hire all those guys – don’t let any of them go to NBC – and just take the whole TNT team,” Rose said. “The whole thing, the whole thing, and some of those guys on ESPN I like – I like – but some of those shows, why those guys are talking about how everybody’s playing and the big guys need to show up and all the other things that you’re like, ‘Oof, show’s rough, man.’”
Danny “Hollywood” Rabinowitz, the executive producer of The Joe Rose Show, conveyed that he had been thinking this way about ESPN NBA coverage for a while, although he complimented the network surrounding the National Football League. Rose admitted that Smith is very good at what he does, but Rabinowitz feels that he has reached the point of essentially being a cartoon character who is all over the place.
“He’s sports and politics and there’s just so much crap, and they keep giving him more and more stuff,” Rabinowitz said. “They fired that girl off of XM, they’re giving him the show. Guy’s just got a million platforms to spew his nonsense. They brought his daughter on on Game 6 because I think they’re trying to make him seem more human or more likable or whatever.”
Rabinowitz proceeded to explain how the ESPN NBA pregame show is a difficult viewing endeavor, affirming that Kendrick Perkins is “terrible” on the airwaves and that Bob Myers cannot get a word in. On top of that, he called out game broadcast analysts Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson as people who “make your ears bleed” and conjectured that there has to be someone better to call the NBA Finals.
“Everyone who works at TNT is great to be honest,” Rabinowitz said. “They have great broadcasts over there, but to put Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson, it’s just not fair to the viewer at this point. It makes it a rough experience – it really, truly does.”
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97 Rock in Buffalo has a new afternoon host who should be familiar with the Buffalo radio audience. Former 106.5 WYRK host Megan Carter is taking over the timeslot.
Carter hosted afternoons at 106.5 WYRK until earlier this year, when she departed the same daypart she’ll assume at 97 Rock. Previously, she served in a variety of roles at 98 PXY for a decade, as well as working at Kiss 106.7 in Rochester at iHeartMedia.
“Western New York is synonymous with 97 Rock, and joining that legacy is humbling,” Carter said. “I started my radio career blasting Tom Petty, Def Leppard, and Foreigner. It’s music I love, so it’s an honor to be able to continue the great tradition of 97 Rock and play this timeless music. I’m thrilled I get to do it with the Cumulus team in Buffalo.”
“Megan Carter is a dynamic broadcaster, known for her unmistakable voice, energy, and deep connection with audiences across Western New York,” added Program Director Joe Russo. “We look forward to what she can bring to the 97 Rock audience.”
Carter will step into the role previously occupied by Carl Russo. He announced his retirement in April after hosting in the daypart since 1988. He was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2017.
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Erik Bradley has been with Top 40 B96 in Chicago for nearly 32 years. He is the Music Director for the station and in the leadoff spot for Barrett Media’s “Meet The Music Directors” series.
In addition to B96 music duties, Bradley is also Assistant Brand Manager, The Brand Manager for 104.3 Jams in Chicago, and Brand Manager for KS107.5 in Denver.
I caught up with Bradley to discuss his longevity and how he handles the barrage of music he receives as the music director for one of the country’s premier Top 40 radio stations.
“It’s been an incredible run. I’m very, very lucky. I’ve loved the station for my entire career. When I was invited to be a part of it, I was obviously thrilled beyond measure. And yeah, it’s going to be 32 years in October, which is insane.”
With a station as important to artists as B96, how does Bradley decide as the gatekeeper what gets on the air and respond to all the requests for airplay?
“We’re choosy on our station. We have to go for the creamiest cream of the crop. A lot of the position is being accessible and at least being able to provide feedback and provide an answer.”
“That is important to me. I want to make sure that people always know that I am reachable, and I will give you the truth. It may not be the answer the promoters want to hear, the labels want to hear, but I will always try to be honest with what I give my feedback on.”
Country radio has what labels and promo people call “push week.” Do Top 40 labels have the same thing?
“No, they don’t. We all know about push week. Truly, Jeff, I think they would probably love to have it be that kind of structure. But honestly, the audience is what dictates what goes number one in our format for sure.”
Is there a predicted life cycle? Again, like Country, where a 52-week to number one is not abnormal?
“There’s really not a defined period of time that it has to be, or if it doesn’t happen in this time, it won’t happen. Sometimes there are exceptions where things do take a little longer. In general, I’d say we know what’s going to wind up going all the way pretty quickly. Within a month or two.”
“There are certain things that go faster that really explode. Alex Warren has a song called “Ordinary” that’s out right now, which went really fast.”
How does Bradley feel about Country crossovers like Morgan Wallen and Top 40?
“Country is market-specific to some. It’s a little harder in markets like Chicago than it would be in Nashville or maybe Tampa or Atlanta. I love it because I’m a Country music fan as well.”
“I think that he’s having a moment. He’s just a big star. He’s one of the biggest stars in music. If not the biggest star in music, arguably, of the last few years. I love his records, they’re all hits. I love that he’s collaborating with Tate McRae because it does make it a little more pop accessible than maybe if it were just him on his own. But this one feels like it’s maybe another gear for pop because it has one of our own on it.”
Bradley has been known over the years as someone who has broke artists and has helped along the way.
“Thank you for saying that. It makes me feel good that I’ve had that kind of reputation. I take it very, very, very seriously. Having those relationships is important to me. I don’t want to go through a list of whatever. I’ll just highlight one that I’m particularly proud of or fond of.”
“That’s one of my very best friends to this day, for 30-plus years, Mariah Carey. I’m glad that she’s back with a new project that people seem to be very excited about. It’s having a really good first week.”
“We’ve all experienced Mariah in many album cycles over the years, and Christmas and all that. She’s just a hall of famer in every way, career-wise, but also as a human being. She’s a real person that I am extremely proud of having that friendship with.”
Bradley with Mariah Carey Photo Courtesy Audacy
Does friendship ever get in the way when it comes to music meetings?
“I do have to defer on a lot of things involving that, just so I’m not being biased in my friendship. There are certain times when you have to make that decision. I wear my Audacy hat, and I wear my Mariah hat.”
The Top 40 is known for being cyclical when it comes to music. Bradley sees the music leaning to the pop side right now.
“We’re in a pretty good pop, pure pop phase right now. There are hits from many different sides of the genre. I think we’re in a pretty good position. We have Lady Gaga with new music out. We have Ed Sheeran and some exciting young new artists, like Doechii, Alex Warren, among many others.”
“Sombr is another one that’s having a nice run right now. There’s a lot of variety, and I think that’s good for the format for sure. I don’t think that anybody wants to play only this kind of music or only that kind of music within the Top 40 landscape. Having multiple sounds to me is a good thing.”
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Executive changes are afoot at Acast as former CEO Ross Adams has resigned. Greg Glenday has been named his successor.
Glenday has been with the company since joining in August 2023. He originally joined the company to serve as its Chief Business Officer after previously working at iHeartMedia, Lightbox Video Network, and Shazam.
“The board is confident that Greg Glenday is the right leader for Acast as we enter our next phase of growth,” says Acast Chairman John Harrobin in the announcement. “Greg brings results-oriented leadership experience, a profound industry understanding, and a proven ability to scale operations globally.”
“I am honored and energized to step into the role of CEO of Acast and further its track record of being at the forefront of podcasting innovation,” Glenday added. “I look forward to working with our immensely talented team of Acasters, our creators, and our advertising partners to unlock podcasting’s full potential and shape the future of the industry.”
He replaces Adams, who had served as the CEO of Acast since 2017. Last month, Adams revealed he had stepped away from this post while on temporary medical leave. He subsequently tendered his resignation, with the company selected Glenday as his successor.
In spite of his departure as CEO, Adams will remain as an advisor to the company going forward.
“As I transition into a strategic advisory role, I remain committed to supporting the company’s continued success and delivering long-term value for shareholders,” concluded Adams.
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ESPNSportsCenter anchor Jay Harris recently announced that he had prostate cancer and would undergo surgery. The veteran sports broadcaster shared the news during an exclusive interview with Michael Strahan on Good Morning America, and he conveyed that he planned on fully recovering and making a return to the desk in a short amount of time. On Monday morning, Harris posted a positive update on X pertaining to his diagnosis in which he revealed that the cancer stayed in his prostate, which was successfully removed in surgery, and did not spread to other areas of his body.
Harris mentioned that he would be away from the show for about a month to recover before making his return better than ever. Within his video message, he revealed that his return will be taking place on Saturday, July 12 and that he looks forward to getting back to work. At the moment, he is at home resting and illustrated his appreciation for the prayers, thoughts and messages that he had received.
“My doctor said the surgery went really well, so well in fact that the cancer that was in my prostate stayed there,” Harris said. “It didn’t spread to any surrounding areas, so when he took the prostate out, took that with it, so it’s all good. There are other details that I won’t bore you with. The main thing is we’re all good.”
Harris first joined ESPN in 2003 where he anchored programming airing on ESPNEWS, and over the years, he has contributed to a variety of programs on the network airwaves. Throughout his more than two decades with the company, he has hosted NFL Live, Outside the Lines, Baseball Tonight and coverage of the NBA Finals.
Outside of his work with ESPN, Harris has over 30 years of experience working in television and radio news, including time as a morning news anchor at WAMO-FM and national news reporter at American Urban Radio Networks in Pittsburgh, Pa. Harris has won multiple Emmy Awards with SportsCenter and has received several other honors and accolades throughout his time on the airwaves.
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FOX Sports has announced that United States Women’s National Team legend Carli Lloyd will return to the network as a studio analyst for a third consecutive year. Lloyd, one of the most decorated players in international soccer history, will join FOX Sports’ coverage of both the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 and the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.
“With the UEFA Women’s EURO starting up and the U.S. off to a good start in the Gold Cup, I’m thrilled to be back with FOX Sports for what promises to be an incredible next few months of soccer,” Lloyd said in a statement.
Lloyd will make her 2025 debut on Wednesday, July 2, during the opening edition of WOMEN’S EURO TODAY. That same day, FOX Sports kicks off live coverage of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 with Iceland facing Finland at 12:00 p.m. ET, followed by Switzerland taking on Norway at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Later in the evening on July 2, Lloyd will return to the studio for CONCACAF GOLD CUP MATCH DAY ahead of the 2025 Gold Cup Semifinals, which will be played in St. Louis, Missouri, and Santa Clara, California. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
“I can’t wait to cover all the storylines across both tournaments and especially with the UEFA Women’s EURO, continuing to be a part of growing the women’s game on FOX with a really impressive schedule that puts the tournament and players center stage,” said Lloyd.
Lloyd first joined FOX Sports as a studio analyst in April 2022 and quickly became a mainstay on the network’s coverage. She was a prominent member of the team for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, returned for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, and provided analysis during the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América.
A 2025 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, Lloyd retired in October 2021 after a 17-year international career that included 316 caps—second-most in U.S. history and third-most internationally for both men and women. She represented the U.S. across four FIFA World Cups™ and four Olympic Games, appearing in more major tournament matches than any other player in USWNT history.
Her list of accomplishments includes two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles, two Olympic gold medals, and back-to-back FIFA Women’s Player of the Year honors in 2015 and 2016. Lloyd scored 134 career goals, retiring as the highest-scoring midfielder in U.S. history and ranking third all-time in scoring for the national team.
With the @GoldCup heating up and @WEURO2025 around the bend, @FOXSports welcomes @CarliLloyd for her third Summer of @FOXSoccer as an analyst debuting in studio across both tournaments on Wednesday, July 2.
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KISS 104.1 in Atlanta has announced the addition of Ramona DeBreaux to its weekend lineup.
DeBreax previously spent 12 years working as a midday host in Atlanta at Hot 97.5 and Hot 107.9, as well as a 15-year run at V103 in the city. In 2023, she exited her radio position to work on a variety of projects, including writing, production, and film efforts.
She will be heard on the Cox Media Group station on Saturdays from 4-7 PM and Sundays from 12-4 PM.
“Ramona’s charisma, authenticity, multi-platform experience and community leadership make her a powerful voice for Atlanta,” said KIS 104.1 Director of Branding and Programming Michael Saunders. “Her voice resonates both on-air and beyond, inspiring listeners while elevating the KISS 104.1 brand.”
“Returning to the airwaves in my hometown—on a station I’ve always admired—is a dream come true,” DeBreaux said. “KISS 104.1 has an incredible lineup and a commitment to Atlanta’s community that speaks to my soul. I can’t wait to connect with listeners, share stories and keep the music going.”
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ESPN programming has completed its move to 7 Hudson Square, the New York City-based headquarters for The Walt Disney Company, with shows debuting from their new studio spaces on Monday morning. Evan Cohen, Chris Canty and Michelle Smallmon kicked off the day from the new UnSportsmanLike studio setup, which features an array of sports memorabilia surrounding an LED screen featuring show graphics and scenic views of the Manhattan skyline. Later in the morning, First Take made its debut with Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim, who were joined in the studio by ESPN NBA personalities Jay Williams and Brian Windhorst to recap the NBA Finals.
The new facilities at 7 Hudson Square feature state-of-the-art production functionalities and upgraded technology that supports live programming across The Walt Disney Company. The morning television show Get Up made its debut from the facility two weeks earlier featuring host Mike Greenberg with appearances from Dan Orlovsky, Damien Woody, Peter Schrager, Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris. According to a report by Dak Dillon of NewscastStudio, the space is approximately 2,100 square feet and referenced aesthetics seen from the Central Park café seen in Friends and diner depicted in Seinfeld. The studio also has several LED floor locations and graphics that resemble lower Manhattan.
The three ESPN morning programs previously broadcast from South Street Seaport at Pier 17 featuring views of the East River and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Get Up and First Take had utilized the television facilities for parts of seven years, along with other programming such as Around the Horn and NBA Countdown. Prior to UnSportsmanLike making its debut from the space in September 2023, the ESPN Radio national morning offering of Keyshawn, JWill and Max utilized the space.
In addition to the ESPN morning shows, various other Disney productions are filming from 7 Hudson Square, some of which include The View, Good Morning America, Live with Kelly and Mark and World News Tonight. The company is working out of the 22-story, 338-foot-tall structure in the Hudson Square neighborhood of New York City that possesses 1.2 million square feet for offices, film and production studio space. The facility is located near the ESPN New York studios and Good Karma Brands offices from which programs such as Don, Hahn and Rosenberg emanate.
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio (@UnSportsESPN) June 23, 2025
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