NBC announces new ‘Sunday Night Football’ broadcast crew

NBC introduced their new “Sunday Evening Soccer” broadcast crew on Tuesday, formally revealing the replacements for play-by-play man Al Michaels and sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya.

Mike Tirico, NBC’s longtime sports activities broadcaster, will now be becoming a member of Cris Collinsworth within the sales space for play-by-play, and Melissa Stark might be doing the sideline reporting.

“’Sunday Evening Soccer’ is vacation spot viewing and we’re thrilled to have Mike, Cris and Melissa name the motion and inform the tales that soccer followers have come to count on from primetime TV’s #1 present,” NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua said in a statement.

Tirico’s resume is well-known. He is known as NFL video games on NBC for 17 consecutive seasons, however he does a lot extra. In simply the previous yr he served because the primetime host for NBC’s Olympics protection, hosted the Tremendous Bowl pregame present, horse racing’s Triple Crown, golf’s U.S. Open, and the Indianapolis 500. Basically, when you watch sports activities on NBC, it’s a must to work actually onerous to keep away from listening to his voice.

Stark has been a sideline reporter previously, having accomplished the job within the early 2000s for ABC’s Monday Evening Soccer. She’s spent over a decade as a bunch and reporter for NFL Community, labored three Olympics for NBC, and likewise spent 4 years with NBC Information doing work on the “Right this moment Present” and MSNBC.

There was numerous transferring and shaking within the soccer broadcast world for the reason that Tremendous Bowl in February, and NBC wasn’t exempt from it. Michaels’ contract with NBC ran out, and when it wasn’t renewed he signed with Amazon to name their Thursday Evening Soccer video games. Tafoya has left sports activities broadcasting altogether and is now pursuing a profession in Minnesota politics.

However now it appears that evidently the transferring and shaking has come to an finish, not less than for now. NFL broadcast groups are largely in place, and all they want are video games to name. Tirico, Collinsworth, and Stark will get their first shot as a trio on the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame Recreation on Aug. 4, and can name their first common season recreation on Sept. 8.