Behind the Mic: NBC Brings Snoop Back for Milan Cortina 2026; TNT Sports Re-Ups Pedro MartinezPlus Stann Verrett Joins FanDuel Sports Network, Chris Mannix joins NBC, and ESPN re-ups Stephania BellBy SVG Staff Friday, October 3, 2025 - 2:03 pm
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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, Snoop Dogg return for NBCU's Olympic coverage for Milan Cortina 2026, TNT Sports inks a multi-year extension with Pedro Martinez, ESPN adds Michael Malone to its NBA Countdown crew, FanDuel Sports Network taps Stan Verrett to host its new whip-around show, Chris Mannix joins NBC's team of NBA Insiders, ESPN re-ups injury analyst Stephania Bell, and Fox Sports unveils its announcers for the MLB Postseason.
Snoop Dogg Returns to NBCU's Olympic Coverage for Milan Cortina 2026Following his lauded performance at the Paris Olympics last summer, Snoop Dogg is returning to NBCUniversal's Olympic coverage for Milan Cortina 2026. The global megastar will explore northern Italy, from the vibrant streets of Milan to the breathtaking Dolomites, providing his unique perspective to viewers during NBCUniversal's Winter Olympic primetime coverage.
Throughout the Winter Games, Snoop will speak with NBC Olympics host Mike Tirico and provide the large U.S. primetime audience with his wintry take on what's happening in northern Italy. Similar to Paris, he'll explore the region's iconic landmarks and culture, attend Olympic competitions, and cheer alongside the athletes, their friends, and families. Snoop's Greatest Hits will be back. In the popular segment, Snoop joins Tirico on the primetime set to riff on the day's biggest stories and most unforgettable moments with his unmistakable rhythm and style.
TNT Sports Reaches Multi-Year Extension with Pedro MartinezTNT Sports has reached a multi-year extension with 2015 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Pedro Martinez, who has served as a studio analyst for TNT Sports' baseball coverage since he joined in 2012.
Martinez is a mainstay on TNT Sports' MLB Tuesday studio programming, joining fellow analysts Jimmy Rollins and Curtis Granderson for pregame and postgame coverage throughout the season, all sharing insights from their more than 50 years of collective major league experience. Martinez's segment Who's Your Daddy? puts his own spin on the week's most valuable player and has become a signature part of the show.
During his playing career, Martinez was considered one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history. A native of the Dominican Republic, Martinez amassed a career record of 219-100 along with 3,194 strikeouts in 18 years with the Dodgers, Expos, Red Sox, Mets and Phillies. The right-handed pitcher was an eight-time All Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner and won a World Series as a member of the 2004 Red Sox.
Martinez will join host Adam Lefkoe and analysts Curtis Granderson and Jimmy Rollins on TNT Sports' studio coverage throughout NLDS & NLCS this MLB postseason. In the booth, Alex Faust and Ron Darling will provide commentary for the Milwaukee Brewers Chicago Cubs series (along with reporter Lauren Jbara), while Brian Anderson and Jeff Francoeur will be joined by reporter Lauren Shehadi for the Philadelphia Phillies Los Angeles Dodgers series.
ESPN Signs NBA Champion Head Coach Michael MaloneESPN has signed former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone to join its NBA Countdown crew in advance of the 2024-25 season. The will debut on NBA Countdown with Malika Andrews and Kendrick Perkins this Sunday. Malone made his ESPN debut during the 2025 Western Conference Finals, when NBA Countdown took the studio show on the road for the matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Stan Verrett To Host FanDuel Sports Network's New Whip-around Style ShowFanDuel Sports Network, owned and operated by Main Street Sports Group, today announced the launch of its newest original program, FanDuel Sports Network Countdown Live, premiering Monday, October 27 at 5:30PM ET. The one-hour live show, hosted by Stan Verrett, will air weeknights as part of the network's expanded live programming lineup.
Countdown Live is designed to showcase what makes FanDuel Sports Network unique: its deep connection to local teams and markets, delivered on a national stage. The show taps into the network's trusted reporters and analysts to give fans an inside look at each matchup, featuring on-site coverage, look-ins to warmups, breaking news, fantasy trends, game odds, and more. By uniting the network's talent roster, Countdown Live delivers an unmatched companion to live game coverage, blending local expertise with national reach in a way only FanDuel Sports Network can. Launching this fall with NBA and NHL coverage, Countdown Live will run year-round and expand to cover MLB and additional marquee sports, offering fans a fast-paced, multi-sport preview ahead of weeknight games.
Chris Mannix Joins NBC Sports' NBA Coverage as NBA InsiderVeteran NBA writer Chris Mannix is joining NBC Sports' NBA coverage as a digital insider, creating video content on breaking news topics that will be distributed across numerous NBCUniversal digital and social media platforms. Mannix will also occasionally appear on NBC and Peacock's NBA studio coverage to report on breaking news.
With Sports Illustrated since 2003, Mannix is currently a senior writer focusing on the NBA for the storied publication. He also hosts SI's Open Floor NBA podcast and frequently contributes to NBC Sports Boston's coverage of the Boston Celtics, where he's served
