National Basketball Association point guard and 12-time All-Star Chris Paul has joined ESPN as a guest analyst covering the Eastern Conference Finals, as announced by The Walt Disney Company at its 2024 Upfront. Paul, who recently played the 2023-24 season with the Golden State Warriors, averaged 9.2 points per game, 3.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 58 games played. The NBA veteran will now be taking part in his first media venture in his new role with the network on NBA Countdown where he will join host Malika Andrews, analysts Stephen A. Smith, Bob Myers and Michael Wilbon and senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski on the show.

“Every game takes on a life of its own, so every game is different home and away,” Paul said while discussing the NBA Playoffs at the Disney Upfront event. “…Every game is different, so those guys are trying to figure out what they’ve got to do to get a win.”

Paul himself has competed in two Western Conference Finals throughout his NBA career, most recently qualifying for the round when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns during the 2020-21 campaign. The Suns defeated the LA Clippers in six games to advance to the NBA Finals where the team faced Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

This is a developing story. More information will be added as it is learned.

ESPN has announced that 13-year NFL veteran and Super Bowl champion Jason Kelce has agreed to a multi-year deal with the company and will appear on Monday Night Countdown beginning with the 2024 season. Kelce will be a part of the network’s slate of 23 regular-season NFL games in addition to two postseason contests – a Super Wild Card weekend game and divisional round playoff game. Kelce was joined on stage by new colleagues Scott Van Pelt, Marcus Spears and Ryan Clark at The Walt Disney Company Upfront on Tuesday afternoon from the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

“Jason is a highly respected, Super Bowl Champion with a strong connection to fans,” Burke Magnus, president of content at ESPN, said in a statement. “Walking off the field and immediately to ESPN, viewers will benefit from his perspective which has been shaped through his years as an established locker room leader and a future Hall of Fame center. Jason’s addition to Monday Night Countdown will greatly strengthen our NFL coverage.”

Kelce, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, will also become a member of studio coverage for ESPN’s presentation of Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles, Calif., taking place in February 2027 airing on ESPN and ABC. Kelce will also engage in additional postseason studio appearances each year, which includes programming during the NFL Conference Championship weekend.

“Turns out it was a short retirement!,” Kelce said in a statement. “I’m excited to join ESPN, and particularly the Monday Night Countdown team. ESPN was a consistent presence in our household growing up and the network helped shape who I am and my love of all sports. To now appear on that same screen is a full circle moment. And, I mean it’s freaking Monday Night Football! and I’m ready for some football.”

The Pac-12, which now features only two schools for football, has announced a media rights partnership with The CW Network and FOX Sports. The agreement calls for The CW to air 11 of the 13 home games between Washington State and Oregon State. FOX or FS1 will air the other two.

The CW is set to release all of the game times later today and FOX will do so later this month, meaning home games will all have start times set prior to the start of the season. The league also announced Pac-12 Enterprises will produce the 11 games for The CW.

“We are thrilled to announce these national partnerships with The CW and FOX,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould. “Oregon State and Washington State football student-athletes deserve this elite stage as they continue competing for the College Football Playoff, and Beaver and Cougar fans have a great opportunity to enjoy their teams’ successes.” 

President of The CW Network Dennis Miller added: “Adding the Pac-12 Conference to The CW’s growing roster of live sports gives the network coast-to-coast coverage in key markets and solidifies our position as a national player in college sports. The CW will truly be a destination for all sports fans this fall with impressive weekend lineups consisting of Pac-12 football, ACC football, LIV Golf and NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff races.” 

With the addition of the football games, The CW will have over 500 hours of sports programming in 2025.