Behind The Mic: FOX Sports Shares Broadcast Lineup for 2026 NFL Season and College Football Season

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, Jonas Brothers to headline halftime show in 2026 NFL Melbourne Game; Damien Woody not to get contract renewed with ESPN; and more.

FOX Sports Unveils 2026 NFL Broadcast Lineup Boasting Super Bowl Champs, Hall of Famers and Emmy Award WinnersFOX Sports has set its game and studio rosters for the 2026 NFL season, an on-air group that collectively holds five gold jackets, nearly 30 Super Bowl championships, and more than 45 Emmy Awards. The announcement comes from Brad Zager, president and executive producer, FOX Sports.

The lead announce team of play-by-play voice Kevin Burkhardt and analyst Tom Brady enters its third season together, with Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi reporting. The crew opens Week 1 on Sunday, Sept. 13, with America's Game of the Week from Philadelphia, where the Eagles host the Washington Commanders at 4:25 p.m. ET. The window averaged 25.3 million viewers in 2025, its best performance since 2015, per Nielsen Media Research.

Behind the lead crew: Joe Davis and Greg Olsen pair for a third year with reporter Pam Oliver, in her 32nd season with FOX; Adam Amin teams with 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Drew Brees for their first full season, with Kristina Pink reporting; Kenny Albert - an original 1994 FOX NFL broadcaster now in his 33rd season - works a seventh consecutive year with Jonathan Vilma and reporter Megan Olivi; Kevin Kugler returns with Daryl Moose Johnston and sideline reporter Allison Williams; and Chris Myers teams with Mark Schlereth and reporter Jen Hale.

Rules analysts Mike Pereira, entering his 16th season, and Dean Blandino, at FOX since 2017, return across the schedule.

On the studio side, FOX NFL Sunday airs at noon ET with host Curt Menefee alongside Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Michael Strahan, and Rob Gronkowski, plus insider Jay Glazer. The show enters its 33rd consecutive season atop the NFL pregame category and remains the only sports program inducted into the NAB Hall of Fame. FOX NFL Kickoff marks its 14th season at 11 a.m. ET, hosted by Charissa Thompson with Charles Woodson, Julian Edelman, Cooper Manning on The Manning Hour, Glazer, and contributions from Colin Cowherd.

Dave Pasch to Work With Kurt Warner, Bob Wischusen and Louis Riddick

ESPN is expected to select Dave Pasch to work with Kurt Warner and Bob Wischusen with Louis Riddick for its NFL Network slate of NFL games this season, according to FOS. The Athletic previously reported that Pasch and Wischusen were expected to be the play-by-play broadcasters and that ESPN was considering Warner and Riddick for the games along with Jason Kelce as a potential analyst.

ESPN Unveils 2026-27 College Football Commentator TeamsESPN has set its college football announce rosters for a season that runs from Week 0 in August through the College Football Playoff National Championship in Las Vegas in January 2027, spanning more than 1,000 games across its networks.

Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and reporter Holly Rowe return as the lead team on ABC and ESPN. The season marks Fowler and Herbstreit's 13th year in the booth and 30th as college football teammates; the pair has called all 12 CFP National Championship games. Rowe enters her 31st year on the college football sidelines.

Steve Shaw joins the lead crew as rules analyst. He most recently served as the NCAA's secretary-rules editor for football and national coordinator of officials, and previously oversaw officiating for the SEC and Sun Belt. Shaw spent 22 years as an on-field official.

New pairings headline the rest of the rotation. Sean McDonough, Greg McElroy, and Katie George team for the first time, with McDonough coming off an NSMA National Sportscaster of the Year win and George coming off a 2026 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Emerging On-Air Talent. Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, and Kris Budden also debut as a trio. Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, and Taylor McGregor work together for a third year. Tom Hart, Roddy Jones, and Quint Kessenich are new together, as are Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick, and Stormy Buonantony, and Roy Philpott, Brock Osweiler, and Sherree Burruss.

Primetime and conference-network crews see significant turnover: Mike Monaco, Jordan Rodgers, and Dana Boyle take ESPN's Friday nights; Wes Durham, Max Browne, and Madison Fitzpatrick form a new ACC Network Primetime team; Matt Schumacker, Aaron Murray, and Taylor Davis debut on SEC Saturday Night; Tiffany Greene and Jay Walker mark a 10th season together on ESPN's HBCU coverage, including the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kick-Off and Cricket Celebration Bowl on ABC; and Matt Barrie, Chase Daniel, and Paul Carcaterra handle Thursday primetime.

ESPN also signed three sideline reporters: Michella Chester, NCAA Digital's lead volleyball, softball, and baseball reporter; Fitzpatrick, a former Florida State beach volleyball captain who joined ESPN in 2023; and Madison Hock, who came aboard full-time in 2026 and also reports on Atlanta Hawks telecasts. Rules analysts Matt Austin, Bill LeMonnier, and Jerry McGinn return.

On radio, Marc Kestecher continues as lead play-by-play voice with Kelly Stouffer and Ian Fitzsimmons, while Mike Couzens calls games with Max Starks and Jordan Reid. ESPN Deportes returns its top booth of Eduardo Varela, Pablo Viruega, Ciro Procuna, and Carlos Nava.

TNT Sports' Announces Crew for FIBA Women's World Cup

TNT Sports' studio crew for the FIBA Women's World Cup will feature former WNBAers Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery as analysts alongside host Lauren Jbara. Candace Parker will also make special appearances during the company's broadcast of the World Cup, which runs Sept. 4-

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/08/18/behind-the-mic-fox-sports-share...
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