Behind the Mic: ESPN Snags A-Rod, Matt Vasgersian for SNB; NBC Brings Back Katie Couric in PyeongChang

Behind the Mic: ESPN Snags A-Rod, Matt Vasgersian for SNB; NBC Brings Back Katie Couric in PyeongChang By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor

Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 12:19 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, ESPN's snaps up Alex Rodriguez (along with Matt Vasgersian) for its Sunday Night Baseball booth, NBC Olympic alum Katie Couric returns to call the PyeongChang Opening Ceremony alongside Mike Tirico, NBC unveils its Super Bowl LII on-air team (not including Peacock stalwart Bob Costas), Rob Riggle will host the NFL Honors ceremony, Dale Earnhardt Jr. revs up his role at NBC Sports at the Super Bowl and Olympics, ESPN re-ups Nicole Briscoe and gives her a new role at the Indy 500, Matt Hasselbeck joins ESPN's Pro Bowl announce team following Jon Gruden s departure, and more.

ESPN today announced that Alex Rodriguez, World Series Champion and 14-time MLB All-Star, will join Sunday Night Baseball as an analyst in a new multi-year agreement. Rodriguez will be joined by veteran baseball play-by-play broadcaster Matt Vasgersian, who will become the third-ever voice of Sunday Night Baseball, also in a multi-year deal. Rodriguez and Vasgersian will appear alongside returning analyst Jessica Mendoza to form ESPN's new Sunday Night Baseball booth, with Buster Olney reporting.

The new Sunday Night Baseball team will make its official debut on Opening Day, Thursday, March 29, to call ESPN's telecast of the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Francisco Giants game, at 7 p.m. ET. The team will then call the first official Sunday Night Baseball telecast of the season on April 1, which also features the Dodgers and Giants at Dodger Stadium at 8:30 p.m.

Rodriguez will continue to exclusively serve as a studio analyst for Fox Sports during the MLB Postseason, while Vasgersian will continue his role as a studio host and announcer for MLB Network. Rodriguez will appear in several upcoming ESPN specials, while also serving as executive producer of them. details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.Vasgersian follows Jon Miller and Dan Shulman as the voice of Sunday Night Baseball, which is entering its 29th season in 2018. Sunday Night Baseball generally airs at 8 p.m. throughout the season, and is also available via the ESPN App

Award-winning journalist Katie Couric is returning to NBC to co-host the Opening Ceremony for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, NBC announced last week. She will join host Mike Tirico in the booth at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium for the Opening Ceremony, which will air in primetime, Friday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC. Also joining NBC's Opening Ceremony coverage will be Joshua Cooper Ramo, Co-CEO of Kissinger Associates, who discussed culture and geo-political issues for NBC during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Tirico works his first Opening Ceremony. He served as host for the Closing Ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics, following his role as a Rio daytime host. In the days following the Opening Ceremony, Couric will contribute to NBC's coverage, offering commentary and interviewing select Olympians. Previously at NBC, Couric had a decorated 15-year run as co-anchor of TODAY (1991-2006) after serving as NBC News' deputy Pentagon correspondent for three years

NBC announced it's on-air team for Super Bowl LII, headlined by Al Michaels (in his 10th Super Bowl) and Cris Collinsworth (in his fourth) in the booth, with two-time Emmy Award-winning reporter Michele Tafoya (also her fourth) on the sideline. Dan Patrick will host the Super Bowl LII pre-game show alongside co-host Liam McHugh, who will be joined by NBC Football Night in America teammates Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Mike Florio and Chris Simms. Paul Burmeister, Kathryn Tappen and Randy Moss also will appear on the pre-game coverage. In a surprising move, Bob Costas will not be part of NBC's Super Bowl plans despite also not working the Olympics this year

Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Rob Riggle will take the stage as host of NFL Honors on Saturday, Feb. 3 at Northrop at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The two-hour primetime awards special recognizing the NFL's best players, performances and plays from the 2017 season will air nationally at 9 PM ET/PT on NBC. Riggle, who recently retired from the Marine Corps Reserve after 23 years of service, has been a staple in comedic film for more than 15 years. Widely known for his memorable roles in films such as The Hangover, Step Brothers, and The Other Guys, Riggle can currently be seen in Warner Bros.' 12 Strong

Motorsports icon and two-time Daytona 500 winning driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will make his NBC debuts as a contributor for the network's coverage of Super Bowl LII on Sunday, February 4, and the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, beginning Thursday, February 8.In July of 2017, Earnhardt and NBC Sports announced the 26-time NASCAR Cup Series winner would be joining NBCUniversal as an on-air analyst and contributor. Earnhardt will make his first trip to the Super Bowl with NBC Sports, and participate in NBC's Super Bowl Pre-Game Show leading up to the big game. Later in February, Earnhardt will travel to PyeongChang, where he will explore the culture, people, and traditions in South Korea, and experience Olympic competitions first hand

ESPN has signed SportsCenter anchor Nicole Briscoe to a new contract and given her some extra duty: hosting ABC's telecast of the Indianapolis 500. Briscoe's new multi-year deal will see her continuing as an anchor for SportsCenter, a position she's been in since January of 2015. She recently moved from late night t

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