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Grant Wahl Joins CBS And Paramount+

“Wahl famously spent 25 years with Sports Illustrated, cementing himself as one of the top soccer journalists in the country.”

Russ Heltman

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Courtesy: Sports Illustrated

Work-life after Sports Illustrated is going well for Grant Wahl. The soccer journalist recently struck a deal with Meadowlark Media to house his podcast and just joined the CBS Sports team as an analyst and editorial consultant.

The network announced the addition as part of their press release for the upcoming round of World Cup Qualifiers. The role entails post-match analysis of U.S. Men’s National Team games and a role as an editorial consultant for the Paramount+ original documentary series Stories from the Beautiful Game.

Wahl famously spent 25 years with Sports Illustrated, cementing himself as one of the top soccer journalists in the country. He also spent seven years with FOX Sports and hosts the Fútbol with Grant Wahl podcast for Meadowlark Media.

“Thrilled to announce that I have joined CBS Sports as a TV analyst and editorial consultant for original soccer documentaries. Vamos!” Wahl said on Twitter about the new gig.

Wahl has his original podcast at Meadowlark and hosts a new show with The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz contributor Chris Wittyngham, and one of the greatest American soccer players ever, Landon Donovan, for a show focused on the USMNT’s attempt to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

The saga should have plenty of drama and intrigue after the USMNT failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup for the first time since the 1986 tournament.

“We’re always searching for people who have a unique point of view and a commitment to quality content,” CEO John Skipper said about the new projects. “There are many ways to tell a story in sports, and we believe that the podcasts we’re announcing today showcase the breadth of the Meadowlark offering.”

With the Premier League in full swing, MLS Playoffs on the horizon, and WC qualifying heating back up, Wahl has plenty of content to discuss on his new platforms.

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ESPN to Produce Content Series Centered on Brittney Griner

“The last two years have been the most harrowing, transformative and illuminating period of my life, and I am grateful to be in a place now to share my story with the world.”

Jordan Bondurant

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After being imprisoned in Russia for almost a year, WNBA star Brittney Griner is ready to share her story. Griner has collaborated with ESPN and Disney Entertainment Television to develop a documentary feature from ESPN Films and a scripted series is in the works with ABC Signature.

Additionally, Griner will do an exclusive interview with Robin Roberts of ABC News.

“The last two years have been the most harrowing, transformative and illuminating period of my life, and I am grateful to be in a place now to share my story with the world,” Griner said. “I’m proud to partner with ESPN and Disney to share this very personal story because of its incredible potential to inspire hope around the world and their proven ability to do just that.”

The documentary feature will be a chronicle of Griner’s story from the moment she was arrested at a Moscow airport for cannabis possession, through her prosecution and imprisonment, to her eventual release from Russian custody.

The feature will feature exclusive footage, recordings and letters to and from Griner during her time in prison.

“Brittney is an exceptional athlete whose hardship and resilience are nothing short of extraordinary,” ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus said. “We are thrilled to be working with her to tell the nuances of her story and feel confident that this documentary will captivate audiences everywhere.”

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Andy North on Beginning TV Career: ‘You Don’t Have Any Clue What You’re Doing’

“You learn by mistakes and you get your butt chewed every day for a couple of years… You’re just trying to figure it out, but I’ve had some great people to work with and have had a ton of fun and it’s been 30-plus years.”

Jordan Bondurant

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A photo of Andy North
(Photo: ESPN)

ESPN golf analyst Andy North has enjoyed a successful broadcasting career, but he knows it’s taken a lot of work to get where he wanted to be.

North will be part of ESPN’s broadcast crew covering The Champions Cup team event this weekend, and he reflected on the early days of his second career.

North joined ESPN in 1992 as an on-course reporter. His big break came when the network asked him to fill in for Gary Koch, who was injured at the time.

“It went reasonably well, and they asked me to join (ESPN) the next year,” North told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

But things weren’t exactly smooth sailing right out of the gate for North, who said he basically went into the job blind.

“You don’t have any clue what you’re doing when you start out,” he said. “You learn by mistakes, and you get your butt chewed every day for a couple of years.

“You’re just trying to figure it out, but I’ve had some great people to work with and have had a ton of fun and it’s been 30-plus years,” North added.

Andy North continued that it was the support he got from everyone around him in the media space that helped him elevate his broadcasting skills. It helped that the two-time U.S. Open champion was also in his element.

“You’re around a bunch of guys you spent your whole life with,” he said. “You got a lot of great friends out here, and you can say it’s work and you work at it, but it’s not the worst thing you could do.”

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ACC Network Adds Chelsea Gray as Women’s Basketball Analyst

“I’m honored to be coming back home to the ACC. This conference proves its greatness year after year and I’m thrilled to be a part of it again.”

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ACC Network just added another talent to its growing roster, this time adding three-time WNBA champion and former Duke Blue Devil Chelsea Gray as a women’s college basketball analyst.

Gray will make her ACC Network debut on Sunday, Dec. 10 when her alma mater takes on the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles live at Cameron Indoor Stadium at noon E.T.

“I’m honored to be coming back home to the ACC,” Gray said. “This conference proves its greatness year after year and I’m thrilled to be a part of it again.”

This won’t be Gray’s first rodeo when it comes to live game analysis. During the 2021-22 season, Gray was a key member of ACCN’s Nothing But Net studio coverage. She also called seven regular season games and three NCAA Tournament games throughout the year.

Along with her on-screen duties, Gray still plays as a member of the Las Vegas Aces, where she helped guide the team to back-to-back WNBA Championships in 2022 and 2023.

“We are very excited to welcome Chelsea back to the ACC Network as a game analyst. She’s competed and won championships at the highest level so her experience and knowledge of the game will be such an asset to our already strong women’s basketball coverage,” said Sara Gaiero, vice president of production at ESPN.

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