Reports surfaced in recent weeks that Michelle Beadle could be returning to sports media very soon, and the first shots are firing on that front. Beadle is joining the San Antonio Spurs broadcast team on select occasions as a special correspondent.
Beadle has been on the sidelines over the past year as she waited out the rest of her ESPN contract. This select role with the Spurs should still allow her to pick up duties elsewhere, similar to Ariel Helwani, who is deploying a diverse media strategy after he left ESPN.
Helwani works for multiple publications and media outlets, giving him a range of freedom. Beadle could follow the same path, with the Spurs being one of multiple gigs.
Front Office Sports reported last week that Meadowlark Media CEO John Skipper has an interest in Beadle and Katie Nolan, who recently left ESPN.
“Yes, I enjoyed working with them. Yes, I think they’re talented. Of course, Meadowlark would be interested,” Skipper told Front Office Sports
Both talents raised their profiles during Skipper’s tenure at ESPN, and now they can help raise Meadowlark’s prowess should they join the team.
“I have had good experiences in the past working with both Michelle and Katie. I think they’re both very talented individuals,” Skipper said to Front Office Sports.
“At Meadowlark, we do want to recruit talented people. We’re prepared to recruit people — and give them editorial freedom — in what they say. We’re interested in people we think can range across a variety of genres. They both qualify for all that.”
Beadle won’t be on every Spurs broadcast this season, so it’ll be interesting how the organization deploys her. San Antonio also brought in a former player, Fabricio Oberto, to offer studio analysis all season long.
No word on how many broadcasts Beadle is working on but the Spurs tip their 2021-22 campaign off on Wednesday, Oct. 20, against the Orlando Magic.