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, TNT Sports expands their NASCAR broadcast team for their second season; ESPN resigns Jason McCourty to multi-year NFL agreement; and more.

Rece Davis is Taking Over as the Host of ESPN’s Wimbledon Coverage This Year, Front Office Sports Reports

The longtime College GameDay host will join new analyst Andy Roddick for ESPN’s “first ball to last ball” coverage from Monday, June 29 through Sunday, July 12. Davis and Malika Andrews will host live on-site coverage as well as Breakfast at Wimbledon.

Robin Roberts and Geno Auriemma Return to the Booth for One-Night-Only ESPN WNBA Broadcast

ESPN announced that Robin Roberts and Geno Auriemma will reunite for a special one-night-only broadcast of the Dallas Wings vs. New York Liberty matchup on Tuesday, July 7, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The reunion comes 30 seasons after the pair called the network’s first-ever WNBA game.

Roberts and Auriemma will join veteran play-by-play commentator Beth Mowins for the telecast, which celebrates the WNBA’s 30th season and honors the league’s historic growth since its inaugural campaign in 1997.

On June 23, 1997, Roberts and Auriemma helped introduce the WNBA to a national television audience when they called ESPN’s first-ever WNBA game. Nearly three decades later, they will return to the broadcast booth together to commemorate one of the most significant milestones in league history.

“Robin and Geno were there at the beginning, helping tell the story of a groundbreaking new league that would forever change the landscape of women’s sports,” said Tim Corrigan, ESPN Senior Vice President, Sports Production. “Bringing them back together for one night is a fitting way to honor the league’s history, recognize its extraordinary growth and showcase the stars who continue to elevate the game today.”

“Coming back to ESPN to call a WNBA game feels like coming home,” said Robin Roberts. “When Geno and I sat together for that first ESPN WNBA broadcast in 1997, we knew we were witnessing something special. To reunite with Geno and celebrate the WNBA’s 30th season alongside Beth is truly an honor. It’s incredible to reflect on how far the league has come and the bright future ahead.”

“I’ve been fortunate to spend most of my life around women’s basketball, and when Robin and I called that first WNBA game, it felt like the beginning of something that could change the sport forever,” said Geno Auriemma. “Thirty seasons later, it’s been incredibly rewarding to watch this league become what it is. Being able to reunite with Robin, a broadcasting legend and lifelong supporter of our game, and celebrate this milestone is a reminder of how far the game has come and how many people have helped elevate it along the way.”

Roberts, co-anchor of Good Morning America, was among the original voices of ESPN’s WNBA coverage and has remained one of the most respected and influential broadcasters in sports and television. Auriemma, the Hall of Fame head coach at the University of Connecticut, has long been one of the sport’s most prominent figures and advocates, helping shape generations of players who have gone on to star in the WNBA.

Beyond her role on the July 7 game, Roberts continues to champion women’s sports as an executive producer of ESPN Originals’ upcoming docuseries Setting the Tempo, which follows the launch of the WNBA’s newest franchise, the Toronto Tempo, and provides an inside look at the organization’s inaugural season.

Additional details surrounding ESPN’s coverage plans for the special presentation will be announced soon.

ESPN Re-Signs NFL Analyst Jason McCourty to an Exclusive Multi-Year Agreement

Before the 2026 NFL season kicks off, ESPN re-signed NFL analyst Jason McCourty to a new multi-year agreement, ensuring the Super Bowl champion remains a key contributor across the network’s year-round NFL coverage. As part of his new deal, McCourty will appear exclusively on ESPN, including throughout the NFL season.

Entering his third season with ESPN, McCourty will continue contributing across the company’s expansive NFL portfolio, regularly appearing on signature studio shows including NFL Live, Get Up, First Take and SportsCenter, while providing analysis and insight throughout the NFL season and beyond, as the company prepares for its historic first presentation of the Super Bowl in February 2027.

Since joining ESPN ahead of the 2024 NFL season, McCourty has become a trusted voice across the network’s NFL programming, bringing the perspective of a player with more than a decade of NFL experience. His thoughtful analysis, versatility and engaging on-air presence have made him a valuable contributor across ESPN’s daily lineup.

A 13-year NFL veteran, McCourty was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft and went on to play for the Titans, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. He won Super Bowl LIII with the Patriots, helping anchor a defense that held the Los Angeles Rams without a touchdown in the championship game.

Following his retirement in 2021, McCourty transitioned seamlessly into broadcasting, serving in prominent analyst roles across television and radio, including calling NFL games for three seasons.

TNT Sports Expands Broadcast Team for Second Annual In-Season Challenge

TNT Sports is bolstering its NASCAR broadcast team covering the second annual In-Season Challenge, set to begin with the Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 28.

Among the new additions will be racing legend Jimmie Johnson — one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history — who will join the TNT Sports team as a studio analyst. Johnson, who won seven NASCAR Cup Series Championships, will contribute to TNT Sports’ coverage from Sonoma Raceway (June 28), North Wilkesboro Speedway (July 19) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 26).

“Joining TNT Sports is an opportunity that truly energizes me,” said Johnson. “NASCAR has given me so much throughout my career, and getting the chance to share that passion from a new perspective alongside a fantastic team of NASCAR legends is something I’m really looking forward to. TNT Sports has a long history of bringing fans closer to the action, and I’m excited to help deliver that same level of insight, intensity, and fun as part of their NASCAR coverage.”

Marty Smith, a host and reporter with ESPN, will join TNT Sports’ NASCAR coverage as pre- and post-race host over the five-week In-Season Challenge. He will anchor coverage alongside Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Letarte and Jamie McMurray throughout the tournament. Jeff Burton will contribute to TNT Sports’ NASCAR coverage as a studio analyst for the race weekends at Chicagoland Speedway (July 5) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (July 12).

TNT Sports’ acclaimed booth of Earnhardt Jr., Steve Letarte and Adam Alexander will return, joined by pit reporters Marty Snider, Shannon Spake and Danielle Trotta. Mamba Smith will also return as a B/R Racing correspondent, among other contributions to the broadcast.

“Last year was an exciting return to NASCAR for TNT Sports, and we’re just getting started,” said Craig Barry, EVP and Chief Content Officer, TNT Sports. “This year, we’re expanding our studio show and adding some of racing’s most recognizable and respected voices to our talented NASCAR broadcasting team. We’re always looking for new ways to create access and bring fans closer to the sport they love. These additions will help us continue to elevate the experience and capture the energy, excitement and culture that make NASCAR so unique.”

TNT Sports will once again present the NASCAR In-Season Challenge in 2026, a five-race, single-elimination tournament that adds a high-stakes, bracket-style competition to the heart of the Cup Series season.

This summer’s Challenge will begin at Sonoma Raceway on June 28 before continuing through Chicagoland Speedway (July 5), EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta (July 12), North Wilkesboro Speedway (July 19) and concluding at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, where the final two drivers will battle head-to-head for the championship trophy and a $1 million prize awarded in Victory Lane.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist Don Van Natta Jr. re-Signs with ESPN in New Multi-Year Deal

ESPN has signed Don Van Natta Jr., a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, to a new multi-year contract. Van Natta will continue his work within ESPN’s Investigative, Enterprise and Digital Journalism Unit, where he has served as a senior writer since joining ESPN in 2012.

The signing reflects ESPN’s sustained investment in premium journalism and accountability reporting, on the heels of adding six former Washington Post reporters to its roster this year.

“Don brings experience, expertise and unmatched persistence to his work every day, and we’re thrilled that he will be contributing to our journalism for years to come,” said Chris Buckle, ESPN Vice President, Investigative, Enterprise and Digital Journalism.

In recent years, Van Natta, sometimes in collaboration with other ESPN journalists, has delivered a steady stream of significant investigative and enterprise reporting across professional sports, including:

Developments within players unions for the NFL, MLB and WNBA, including a run of exclusive reporting last summer that led to the resignation of NFLPA leader Lloyd Howell.Ongoing reporting on former NFL coach Jon Gruden’s lawsuit over whether the league leaked the emails that led to his departure as Las Vegas Raiders head coach.Covering NFL owners voting on a succession plan for the Raiders’ ownership.The NFL and NFLPA’s dispute over the union’s annual team report cards.New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s efforts to earn election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Bill Belichick not becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer.MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s historic decision to remove Pete Rose, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and other deceased players from MLB’s permanently ineligible list.Multiple controversies surrounding former Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder.

Prior to joining ESPN, Van Natta spent 16 years as an investigative correspondent for The New York Times, contributing to two Pulitzer Prize–winning teams (National Reporting, 1999; Explanatory Reporting, 2002). Based in New York, Washington, D.C., Miami, and London (2003–05), where he became the paper’s first investigative correspondent stationed overseas, he covered counter-terrorism and intelligence and broke hundreds of stories on topics including TWA Flight 800, President Bill Clinton’s impeachment, the 9/11 attacks, extraordinary rendition, campaign finance abuses, and the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

Before joining the Times in 1995, Van Natta spent eight years at The Miami Herald, where he was part of the team awarded the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its coverage of Hurricane Andrew.

ESPN Teams with Rising Stars Kaleena Smith and Beckham Black for New SportsCenter NEXT Merch Campaign

portsCenter NEXT has tapped standout young athletes Kaleena Smith and Beckham Black for a new content and merchandise initiative celebrating the intersection of high school sports culture, fashion, and an emergent sector of sports fandom.

As part of the collaboration, Smith and Black will serve as the faces of SportsCenter NEXT‘s newest merchandise collection, developed alongside ESPN Creative Studio and available for purchase at merch.espn.com. The project features interviews and behind-the-scenes content with the two athletes captured in collaboration with Paragon Sports Marketing and showcases a blend of sports, culture and style that speaks to ESPN’s commitment to audience expansion.

“The SportsCenter NEXT brand brings youth culture and sports to life on a daily basis,” said Kaitee Daley, Senior Vice President of Social, Digital and Streaming Content at ESPN. “It made all the sense in the world to team up with Kaleena and Beckham as they bring their A-game to audience connection both on and off the court.”  

Additional campaign content will roll out across SportsCenter and ESPN social platforms, featuring photography and digital assets supporting the launch of the new collection.

FOX Sports Unveils Roster for FIFA World Cup 2026 Digital Coverage

FOX Sports, America’s English-language home for FIFA World Cup 2026™, today announces its most distinguished roster yet for FIFA WORLD CUP NOW – the network’s award-winning digital show covering every match of the highly anticipated tournament. 

Streaming live from the FOX Sports Digital Studio in Los Angeles and on location at iconic venues across North America, starting opening night on Thursday, June 11, FIFA WORLD CUPNOW will deliver pregame, halftime and postgame coverage for all 104 matches – featuring some of the most recognized names in soccer alongside FOX Sports’ most trusted voices.

“FIFA World Cup 2026™ is the biggest stage this sport has ever seen – and we’ve built our coverage to match it,” said Michael Bucklin, SVP, Digital, FOX Sports. “This is the most ambitious digital sports production we’ve ever undertaken, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring it forward in support of the greatest sporting event in our country’s history.”

Joining FOX Sports’ FIFA World Cup 2026™ robust lineup of hosts and analysts are a roster of globally recognized soccer standouts spanning USMNT veterans, international newcomers and seasoned studio hosts. Making their FOX Sports debuts are celebrated international stars Peter Crouch and Kasper Schmeichel, who bring a combined 162 international caps and decades of top-level European experience to the coverage. Anchoring the American contingent are Bob Bradley, Jay DeMerit, Maurice Edu, Brad Guzan, Sacha Kljestan and Walker Zimmerman. Rounding out the roster are acclaimed broadcasters and hosts Alex Scott MBE, Melissa Ortiz, and Kaylyn Kyle, each bringing a global perspective and deep on-air experience to the show. 

Expanded bios for each of the highly decorated FOX Soccer digital analysts can be found in the ‘Snapshot Biographies’ section below.

FIFA WORLD CUP NOW will stream exclusively on the FOX Sports YouTube channel, Tubi, FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App. Highlights from the star-studded shows will be available across FOX Sports and FOX Soccer social media.