
Behind the Mic: ESPN Sends Contract Extensions to Bomani Jones, Pablo Torre; Emmanuel Acho Jumps to Fox Sports' Speak For Yourself By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Thursday, July 2, 2020 - 8:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
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, ESPN re-ups two notable names, a former NFL linebacker makes the leap from ESPN to Fox Sports, and more.
ESPN has reached a multi-year contract extension with host and commentator Bomani Jones. Jones will continue to lead his popular ESPN Podcast, The Right Time with Bomani Jones, twice per week (Tuesday and Thursday). In May, The Right Time was downloaded more than 650,000 times, a 60% increase over last year.
His ESPN Audio presence will also include regular guest appearances across ESPN Radio sports talk programming.
Jones will play a significant role on Highly Questionable alongside Dan Le Batard, appearing three or four days each week. He will also continue to be a key contributor across ESPN's television studio lineup, including SportsCenter, Get Up, Outside the Lines, and as a panelist on Around the Horn.
I'm thrilled to continue my tenure at ESPN, Jones said. The Right Time is growing, and the ability to share my voice on many shows and platforms is exciting in this moment.
Bomani's voice is impactful and resonates across platforms, says Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president and executive editor, production. He is an important member of our team and we are very happy he will continue to help us serve sports fans.
Known for insightful sports commentary and thought-provoking conversations on social topics, Jones joined ESPN full time in 2013 as a co-host of Highly Questionable and launched his podcast, The Right Time with Bomani Jones, in April 2018. He hosted ESPN Radio's The Right Time with Bomani Jones from 2015-17. From 2018-20, he co-hosted High Noon on ESPN. Jones has contributed to ESPN across a variety of platforms since 2004
ESPN commentator Pablo Torre will become the new, full-time host of the ESPN Daily podcast in August - beginning the transition by working select shows in July - as part of a new, multi-year contract extension with the network. With new editions every weekday morning, ESPN Daily brings sports fans an inside look at some of the most intriguing stories with ESPN's industry-leading journalistic resources and deep roster of reporters, producers and commentators.
Torre will continue to evolve the successful podcast, which launched in October 2019. Mina Kimes, the original host, will be joining the network's NFL Live team as an analyst and will host The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny football podcast. Kimes will continue to be a key contributor to ESPN Daily.
Torre will also continue to have a presence on ESPN's weekday afternoon studio shows Highly Questionable and Around the Horn and make appearances on the network's other studio shows.
Torre joined ESPN from Sports Illustrated in 2012 as a senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. His writing has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the Boxing Writers Association of America, the Association of Health Care Journalists, GLAAD, Mental Health America, and The Best American Sports Writing.
In addition, Torre has been a contributor to the network's ESPN Films projects, including appearing in the 30 for 30 Broke - based on his own reporting of athletes' financial health - in 2012, and writing and producing his first 30 for 30 short film Friedman's Shoes in 2016. From 2018-20, he co-hosted High Noon on ESPN with Bomani Jones
Former NFL linebacker and celebrated broadcaster Emmanuel Acho joined Fox Sports as co-host of Speak For Yourself on FS1. Acho is partnering with Marcellus Wiley for a revamped version of the show airing weekdays at 3:00 PM ET on FS1 that began on the week of Monday, June 22.
Acho was taken in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns after a four-year college career with the Texas Longhorns. After spending four seasons in the NFL, largely with the Philadelphia Eagles, he transitioned into broadcasting as an analyst for the Longhorn Network in 2016. Acho quickly emerged as one of the sport's preeminent voices and made the leap to ESPN in 2018, appearing on college football Saturday programming as well as the network's studio shows. In 2019, he was recognized for his exemplary on-air work as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree.
Outside of broadcasting, Acho is well known for his advocacy work, most recently producing a video series titled Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, which opened a virtual conversation with white America to educate and inform on racism and social injustice. The series has been a resounding success, debuting with over 22 million views across social media platforms and garnering widespread media coverage. Acho also takes an active role in his family's non-profit organization, Living Hope Christian Ministries, which provides medical care to rural communities in Nigeria.
A Dallas native, Acho holds a bachelor's degree in sports management and a master's degree in sports psychology from The University of Texas at Austin
One of the best in the business has come on board as Sportsnet welcomed award-winning broadcaster - and one of Canada's most recognizable hockey voices - Chris Cuthbert to the Sportsnet family.
Bringing more than 30 years of broadcast excellence, an undeniable passion for the game, and an unwavering dedication to Canadian viewers to the
Most recent headlines
12/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Everything You Need to Know for Next Week's Big Sho...
12/12/2025
Hailey Gates at the Atropia premiere (photo by George Pimentel / Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)...
12/12/2025
Last month, Spotify announced a new collaboration with the ATP Tour, the global governing body of men's professional tennis, aimed at bringing the next gene...
12/12/2025
CONWAY, Ark. In a notable example of how the elimination of Federal federal funding is forcing public stations to make massive cuts and changes in the way they...
12/12/2025
Wisycom and DPA Microphones announce the appointment of Ren Moerch as Group Product Director, Wireless, a strategic leadership role that will guide the combine...
12/12/2025
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, in conjuncture with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Entertainment Technolog...
12/12/2025
Keepit, the vendor-independent, cloud-native data protection provider, today announced a strategic go-to-market relationship in Poland with Ingram Micro, a lead...
12/12/2025
Atomos announced the immediate availability of a new firmware update for its Ninja TX GO and Ninja TX monitor-recorders, unlocking Open Gate 48P RAW recording w...
12/12/2025
Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) once again played a critical role in delivering flawless wireless coordination and support at the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards a...
12/12/2025
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), together with the Video Services Forum (VSF), the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broadc...
12/12/2025
DHD audio will demonstrate the latest additions to its range of digital audio production solutions on Booth 321 in Hall B6 at Hamburg Open 2026. The show will b...
12/12/2025
Chaos today announces the release of V-Ray for Blender, update 2, bringing its award-winning rendering technology to even more Blender users by adding support f...
12/12/2025
Lighting specialist UltraLEDs has launched Precision LED Tape, a high-CRI lighting solution designed specifically for professional film, TV, and studio use.
P...
12/12/2025
Zixi, the Emmy Award-winning leader in live broadcast-quality video over IP, today announced that Roi Sasson has joined the company as Vice President, Engineer...
12/12/2025
BitFire (bitfire.tv), the leader in software-defined live production and IP transmission, today announced a strategic partnership with Appear, a leader in high-...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today said futurist Robert Tercek, creative technologist Jessie Hughes from Leonardo.AI and Emmy-winnin...
12/12/2025
HUDSON, Mass. BitFire and Appear have struck a strategic partnership aimed at offering broadcasters, sports leagues and streaming platforms a faster, more flexi...
12/12/2025
The broadcast industry is evolving faster than ever. #IPWorkflows #remoteproduction, and next-gen audio systems are reshaping how teams design, deliver, and sca...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The payroll and production accounting platform Wrapbook has announced the acquisition of Cinapse, a modern scheduling platform for film and televisi...
12/12/2025
DEHLI Ross Video has announced that it is expanding and restructuring its commercial and technical teams in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation...
12/12/2025
LONDON Following the success of its UK launch in January 2025, Rise AV, the global not-for-profit initiative dedicated to supporting and advancing women in the ...
12/12/2025
SAN FRANCISCO Ad-supported streaming service Tubi next week will launch Matter Casting, a new casting standard that will enable seamless mobile-to-TV viewing di...
12/12/2025
LOS ANGELES The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today said futurist Robert Tercek, creative technologist Jessie Hughes from Leonardo.AI and Emmy-winnin...
12/12/2025
Friday 12 December 2025
Ted is back! Seth MacFarlane's live-action comedic ...
12/12/2025
In Las Vegas's T-Mobile Arena, fans of the Golden Knights are getting more than just hockey - they're getting a taste of the future. ADAM, a robot devel...
12/12/2025
Uachtar n na h ireann, Catherine Connolly visited RT Raidi na Gaeltachta's...
12/12/2025
Ireland AM host Eric Roberts has been revealed as the sixth contestant taking to...
12/12/2025
Scripps Research team pioneers an efficient way to stereoselectively add fluorine to drug-like molecules A new method uses a novel catalyst and inexpensive fluo...
11/12/2025
Thomson and the Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI) convened a two-day workshop in Sarajevo bringing together more than 35 journalists, editors, p...
11/12/2025
ESPN's Aims for Spectacular With Heisman Trophy ShowEvent firsts include 1080p HDR production airing on both national broadcast and cableBy Dan Daley, Audio...
11/12/2025
SVG Students To Watch: Frankie Patton, University of ColoradoThe 2025 grad is hitting the ground running as a PA on national broadcastsBy Brandon Costa, Directo...
11/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 3By SVG Staff
Thursday, December 11, 2025 - 7:24 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The 2...
11/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: What Makes Gen Z, X, and Y Fans Tick? Dave Gavant of WSC Sports Go...
11/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: 5G, MXL, Spectrum Loss, and Outerspace on Tap for Tues...
11/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: David Levy, Turner Titan and Master of Al...
11/12/2025
SVG Launches Follow the Money' Podcast: Go Inside the Sports Media Biz with...
11/12/2025
A Deep Dive Inside Game Creek Video's Bird and Magic Mobile Units, Home to A...
11/12/2025
How Sound Effects for Monsters Funday Football' Emulated the Sonic Soul of ...
11/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CSP Mobile Productions' Len Chase on Upgrading Tr...
11/12/2025
Having the right song soundtrack your moves can make all the difference when gam...
11/12/2025
It's been a big year for Taylor Swift. Her highly anticipated album The Life...
11/12/2025
New satellites for the SDA Tranche 1 Tracking program in production at L3Harris&...
11/12/2025
The Meadowlands system, a compact and mobile version of the CCS, uses ground-based radio frequency units to disrupt satellite communications....
11/12/2025
The L3Harris demonstration united tactical communications devices, counter-UAS c...
11/12/2025
Throughout 2025, L3Harris delivered innovative solutions to U.S. and allied warfighters across every domain.
With an unrelenting commitment to excellence, our...
11/12/2025
A Majority of the World's Population (51%) Identify As Soccer Fans
The 2025 MLB postseason notched 58.2 billion viewing minutes, up +24% from the prior y...
11/12/2025
WALTHAM, Mass. Video-over-IP software provider Zixi said Roi Sasson has joined the company as vice president, engineering....
11/12/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. In a move that highlights the growing competition between broadcasters and CTV platforms for local advertising, LG Ad Solutions has announ...
11/12/2025
Boston Conservatory Earns Several Best of Accolades in 2025 Highlights include a faculty Grammy win, a seventh consecutive year on Playbill's list of co...
11/12/2025
RASTATT, Germany Lawo and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) have partnered to launch the SMPTE ST 2110 Practical Lab, an immersive ...