By SVG Staff
Friday, January 17, 2025 – 7:05 am
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Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition, NBC Sports signs an NBA vet to lead their return to the league in Oct. 2025, The CW Network and FOX Sports release broadcast teams for their coverage of NASCAR Xfinity Series and NTT IndyCar series, respectively, and more.
Jamal Crawford, a 20-season NBA veteran and three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year, is joining NBC Sports as a lead game analyst when its coverage of the association begins in October 2025 across NBC and Peacock.
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft out of Michigan, Crawford played 20 seasons (2001-2020), a feat accomplished by only 10 other players. Known as one of the game’s greatest ball handlers and one of its most productive off-the-bench players, Crawford is tied for the league record with three NBA Sixth Man of the Year awards (2010, 2014, 2016). He averaged 14.6 points per game over his career with nine teams (Chicago, New York, Golden State, Atlanta, Portland, L.A. Clippers, Minnesota, Phoenix, Brooklyn), and tallied multiple 50-point games.
“I’m thrilled to join the NBC Sports family and their new NBA package,” says Crawford. “I grew up reenacting the game highlights that I watched on the network’s classic NBA coverage, so I’m truly honored to be a part of the new broadcast team that will bring the game to a different generation of fans. NBC Sports’ productions are top-notch across the board, and I can’t wait for hoop fans to see what we have in store for the new era of basketball content.”
Following his retirement in 2022, Crawford began his broadcasting career as a commentator for Turner Sports and NBA TV. He is currently part of MSG Network’s coverage of the New York Knicks.
“Jamal’s passion, curiosity, and deep basketball insights are seamlessly translating to his role as a next-generation game analyst,” adds Sam Flood, Executive Producer, NBC Sports. “As one of the best sixth men in NBA history, he mastered the art of reading the flow of the game before stepping on the court – a skill that will make an exciting transition to his new courtside seat. We’re thrilled to have him in starting lineup for Team NBC.”
Crawford is expected to work one or more games per week when NBC Sports’ NBA coverage begins in October 2025.
The CW Network have announced its broadcast team for the 2025 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES season. Veteran broadcaster Adam Alexander will serve as lead play-by-play announcer and will be joined by DAYTONA 500 Champion Jamie McMurray and NASCAR driver Parker Kligerman as race analysts. Dillon Welch and Kim Coon will serve as pit reporters, and Carla Gebhart will host the studio show NASCAR Countdown Live prior to every race.
The CW’s coverage of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season begins on Saturday, February 15, 2025, from Daytona International Speedway, with NASCAR Countdown Live (4:00-5:00pm/ET) followed by the race (5:00-8:00pm/ET).
Alexander is the preeminent voice for NASCAR, serving as the lead play-by-play announcer for The CW’s NASCAR Xfinity Series as well as Prime Video and TNT Sports’ Cup Series coverage. In addition to play-calling responsibilities, Alexander will also work with NASCAR Studios to develop content for NASCAR and CW platforms. Prior to joining The CW, Alexander led FOX Sports’ NASCAR Xfinity Series coverage, a position which he has held since 2015 as part of FOX’s coverage of the series. Alexander also co-hosted NASCAR Race Hub, FS1’s daily NASCAR news and informational program, and called select NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races, along with serving as play-by-play announcer for various FOX college football and college basketball games.
McMurray is a former professional driver whose stellar career spanned 16 full-time NASCAR Cup Series seasons from 2002-2018 and included winning the DAYTONA 500 and Brickyard 400 in 2010. In 2019, he joined FOX Sports as a NASCAR analyst for NASCAR Race Hub and NASCAR RaceDay, among other duties. In 2020, he became an analyst for all FOX NASCAR pre- and in-race studio coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, in addition to calling multiple NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck series races and a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2023.
Kligerman is a NASCAR driver and media personality with a career spanning all three of NASCAR’s premier series. With three wins, 39 top five finishes, and 105 top ten finishes, he recently retired from the NASCAR Xfinity Series after a two-year run as the marquee driver for Big Machine Racing, earning the team their first and second playoff berths. Since 2015, Kligerman has served as an analyst and pit reporter for NBC Sports. He has also created original motorsports programming and is currently the co-host of The Money Lap podcast.
Welch is an auto racing announcer and Emmy Award-winning television producer. From 2014-16, Welch traveled nationally as the public address announcer for the United States Auto Club. He joined the Motor Racing Network in 2015 as a turn announcer and pit reporter for select NASCAR national series events. Beginning in 2018, he was visible on NBC Sports telecasts as a pit reporter and booth announcer covering NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA.
Coon has spent the last 14 years covering NASCAR most recently as part of NBC’s coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series. She has covered NASCAR for Motor Racing Network, as well as roles for IndyCar and American Flat Track. Most notably, she co-hosted Off the Grid on NBC as well as NASCAR’s popular Glass Case of Emotion podcast with driver Ryan Blaney.
Gebhart is an Emmy Award-winning anchor who currently serves as the Sports Director at WJZY-TV (FOX), the Nexstar-owned television station serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and the surrounding area. She hosts a nightly sports show for WJZY-TV called Charlotte Sports Live, where she reports the latest news from NASCAR, the NFL, NBA, and college athletics. She also hosts other shows related to the Carolina Panthers and NASCAR, which are syndicated regionally and nationally.
FOX Sports has named veteran broadcaster Will Buxton to handle play-by-play with James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell offering race analysis for the inaugural season of NTT INDYCAR SERIES coverage on FOX beginning with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 2, at noon ET.
Buxton returns to the FOX Sports family having begun his network television career on SPEED Channel in 2010 as pit reporter for their Formula 1 coverage. His tenure reporting on motorsport began at the turn of the millennium, writing for F1 Magazine before a stint as Director of Communications for the GP2 (F2) championship, working with the likes of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. His return to print journalism in 2008 coincided with his appointment as lead announcer for the GP2 world feed, which subsequently brought him to the attention of SPEED.
Buxton transitioned with the F1 broadcast rights to NBC Sports from 2013-2017, doubling up his Formula 1 duties with a pitlane role at various INDYCAR races. With Liberty Media’s acquisition of F1, Buxton moved in house in 2018 as the sport’s Digital Presenter and played an instrumental role in the championship’s push into digital media and the launch of F1TV where he became a central part of the channel, acting in multiple roles simultaneously, as lead presenter, pit reporter, analyst and lead announcer.
Hinchcliffe comes over to FOX from NBC Sports, where he worked alongside Bell on the network’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, as well as providing analysis for select IMSA races.
The 2011 INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year, Hinchcliffe scored 18 podium finishes and won six races over the course of his career, driving for Andretti Autosport, Newman/Haas Racing and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. The Canadian racer scored the INDYCAR Fan Favorite Award in 2012 and 2018. In 2024, he competed in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup for Pfaff Motorsports. In 2015, during an Indianapolis 500 practice session, Hinchcliffe’s car suffered a mechanical failure that led to high-speed contact with an outside wall. The resulting crash forced a suspension rod into his left leg, puncturing his femoral artery, leading to significant blood loss. Through hard work and determination, he returned to the cockpit just four months later.
Bell, a versatile American racer and 2001 Indy Lights (INDY NXT by Firestone) champion, moved to sports cars in 2012, racing for Alex Job Racing and winning the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring on his first attempt. The California native, who competed in 10 Indianapolis 500s, also scored victories in the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the GT-Am class in 2016. Making his television debut for Sky Sports in Europe, Bell also worked for SPEED Channel as part of the network’s F1 coverage.
Gigi Marvin and Brian Boyle, two standout former players with Boston ties, will serve as studio analysts on select professional and college hockey broadcasts this season on NESN. Marvin, the former U.S. Women’s National Team member and PWHL Boston Fleet player, will work on Bruins, Fleet and college games and makes her debut on Saturday during the Boston Bruins’ game against Ottawa. Boyle, the Hingham native and former Boston College star, will work on college and Bruins games and makes his NESN debut Feb. 3 during the Beanpot semifinals.
Marvin, a former analyst for the Minnesota Wild, will serve as a studio analyst for four Bruins games, as well as NESN’s Bruins alternate broadcast Unobstructed Views, the Women’s Beanpot, and PWHL in-game coverage. She is a standout from the University of Minnesota and a two-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award (2008–09) as the top female player in college hockey. Marvin concluded her professional career with PWHL Boston in late 2024.
Her scheduled appearances include:
Boyle, the 2005 Hockey East MVP, will work each game of the Men’s Beanpot, the Hockey East Championship semifinals and final and the Bruins’ game against Carolina on Mar. 6. Aa 14-year NHL veteran who played for eight teams, he is a three-time Hockey East All-Tournament Team member and the 2005 MVP, will deliver extensive insight and analysis to NESN’s hockey coverage.
His scheduled appearances include:
ESPN has announced its new, national lineup on ESPN Radio from 6 a.m.-1 a.m. ET, set to debut on Monday, February 10, bringing fresh voices and dynamic programming to listeners nationwide.
Clinton Yates will host Clinton & Friends, airing weekdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET. Yates, alongside a rotating group of regular guests, will provide unique insights and perspectives on the top stories of the day, blending breaking news, and audience interaction. Yates brings an established radio presence from his days on ESPN LA 710, the ESPN Radio Network as well as a variety of other ESPN projects.
Following Clinton & Friends, ESPN Radio will debut Joe & Q from 12 to 3 p.m. ET. The show pairs Joe Fortenbaugh, one of the foremost experts in sports wagering, with Q Myers, a Vegas-based host who has been captivating audiences as the host of GameNight for the past 18 months. Together, Joe and Q will bring their distinct personalities, engaging guests, and fan interactions to create an entertaining and informative midday destination.
These additions will join the established hit shows Unsportsmanlike, Freddie & Harry, Amber & Ian, and GameNight to complete ESPN Radio’s weekday lineup. Given Mike Greenberg’s expanded role across ESPN platforms, including Get Up and NFL Sunday Countdown, he will no longer host Greeny. However, he will remain part of ESPN Audio with hosting the First Draft podcast alongside Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates.
Unsportsmanlike, ESPN Radio’s marquee morning show will air from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, as it continues to be a fan favorite with its blend of sharp sports analysis and entertaining debate. The show, hosted by Evan Cohen, Chris Canty, and Michelle Smallmon, keeps listeners engaged with thought-provoking conversations and sports news every morning.
Freddie and Harry, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET, delivers an entertaining afternoon drive show featuring Freddie Coleman and Harry Douglas. Their chemistry and deep sports knowledge create a perfect mix of analysis, humor, and listener interaction.
Amber & Ian, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET, features Amber Wilson, a practicing attorney and ESPN radio host since 2019, and Ian Fitzsimmons, a seasoned ESPN analyst and sideline reporter. Amber and Ian will continue to lead ESPN Radio’s evening programming, blending their diverse expertise and perspectives to engage listeners.
GameNight airs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET and delivers the most impactful post-game show in sports talk radio. The show features a dynamic rotation of hosts, including but not limited to Emmett Golden, Victoria Arlen, Courtney Cronin, Myron Medcalf, Aaron Goldhammer, and Gabe Neitzel. Each night, the team drives the conversations around the biggest stories in sports.
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