Behind the Mic: Marv, Kenny Albert To Call NBC s Premier Boxing Champions; Fowler Ps ESPN College GameDay Mantle to Reece Davis

Marv Albert, will serve as blow-by-blow announcer for Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC, joining analyst Sugar Ray Leonard for the debut of PBC on NBC in primetime Saturday, March 7 at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC (NBC's first primetime fight since May 20, 1985, which Albert also called). Al Michaels will host. Albert will team with six-time world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medalist Leonard on all 11 of the 2015 NBC broadcasts of the Premier Boxing Champions. He previously called boxing on NBC from 1980-2003, including three Summer Olympics highlighted by the controversial 1988 bouts in Seoul, South Korea. Albert also serves as the lead NBA voice and an NCAA basketball announcer for Turner Sports.

Albert previously worked at NBC Sports for more than 20 years, serving as the primary play-by-play announcer for the NBA on NBC, and he called the action on properties including the NFL, NHL, MLB, college basketball, boxing, and horse racing.A multiple Emmy Award winner, Albert handled play-by-play duties for New Jersey Nets basketball on the YES Network from 2005-11, following more than three decades calling New York Knicks and New York Rangers games on Madison Square Garden Network

Marv's son, Kenny Albert will serve as blow-by-blow announcer for select Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) shows on NBCSN. Albert will be joined by six-time world champion, 1976 Olympic gold medalist and analyst Sugar Ray Leonard to call PBC on NBC fight shows on NBCSN. Kenny Albert, the only national play-by-play broadcaster who calls football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soon, boxing.

Albert calls regular season and post-season NHL games for NBC Sports Group and also served as a hockey play-by-play commentator for NBC Olympics' coverage four times, including the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Albert is currently in his 19th season as the radio play-by-play voice of the New York Rangers. He has served as play-by-play commentator for the NFL on FOX since the network's inaugural season in 1994 and has been in the booth for five NFC Divisional Playoff games and three BCS bowl games. Albert has also called MLB games on Fox since 2001, and occasionally handles play-by-play for the Knicks on MSG Network.

Spike TV had also built out quite an announce team for its own Premier Boxing Champions series. Former ESPN-er and and current CBS Sports Network studio host/reporter Dana Jacobson will serve as host of the network's Premier Boxing Champions series, while NFL Network and NFL RedZone vet Scott Hanson will serve as the blow-by-blow announcer. In addition, five-time, two-division world champion boxer Antonio Tarver and popular Bellator announcer and former professional MMA fighter, Jimmy Smith, will serve as color analysts for Spike TV's inaugural season of Premier Boxing Champions

Earlier this month, ESPN veteran host and play-by-play caller, Rece Davis, signed a multi-year agreement with ESPN through 2021 that includes taking over full-time hosting duties from Chris Fowler for the network's popular College GameDay in 2015. In addition, he will continue to host ESPN's College GameDay Covered by State Farm basketball road show. Davis will relinquish his role in the Thursday night ESPN College Football Primetime booth but call select bowl games and retain his weekly play-by-play duties for college basketball. Davis, who has been with ESPN since 1995, will increase his overall presence for the network's College Football Playoff studio coverage again hosting the Tuesday night rankings show, the Sunday selection show and anchor coverage on-site at the College Football Playoff semifinals and national championship. Also, he will continue to serve as lead host of the network's Men's Final Four coverage.

Fowler, who has hosted GameDay since 1990, will focus on his ABC Saturday Night Football duties, calling games with analyst Kirk Herbstreit and reporter Heather Cox throughout the fall including a College Football Playoff National Semifinal and the College Football Playoff National Championship. He will continue to host the Heisman Trophy presentation as well as call the tennis grandslams Wimbledon, French Open, Australian Open and ESPN's expanded coverage of the US Open beginning this summer

Ryan Clark, the 13-year NFL safety and Super Bowl XLIII champion, has announced his retirement and is joining ESPN as an NFL analyst. Clark made regular ESPN guest analyst appearances the past two years as an active player, most recently at Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona. He will begin his new role in March, appearing on NFL Live, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio shows and more as part of a multi-year agreement. Clark played a majority of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2006-13), two years with the New York Giants (2002-03) and two stints with the Washington Redskins (2004-05 and 2014)

Earlier this month, espnW signed commentator, reporter and former international soccer star Julie Foudy to a new multiyear contract, as part of espnW's expanding roster of experienced and distinctive voices. Foudy will now have a much more prominent role for espnW, serving as the brand's primary representative at major sporting events including the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, future Olympic Games, the Special Olympics and NCAA Championships. Foudy previously served as a writer and contributor to espnW on several initiatives, and worked as a features reporter on the U.S. Men's and Women's National Soccer Teams during World Cups and international matches, and reporter/host for ESPN studio programs - SportsCenter, Outside the Lines, First Take. She has also served as a studio analyst for the 2014 FIFA World Cup - the most-watched FIFA World Cup in the U.S. In 2010, she was a general assignment reporter for ESPN and ABC's 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. She has al

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