ESPN has officially hired Paul Pierce, Katie Nolan is working on an early exit from Fox Sports, and Barry Melrose is returning to NHL Network..
Pierce Officially Joins ESPN
ESPN officially announced Thursday that it has signed former Celtics F Paul Pierce as an NBA studio analyst. Pierce, who was a guest analyst on ABC’s NBA Finals coverage the past two years, will primarily appear on NBA Countdown and the daily studio show The Jump.
To call Pierce’s hiring an open secret would be an understatement. ESPN has listed him as an NBA analyst in previous releases and Pierce himself said he was joining the network in an interview with ESPN.com earlier in the summer. [ESPN PR 9.28]
FOX, Nolan, Working on Early Exit
Fox Sports host Katie Nolan is negotiating an early release from her contract, which is set to expire at the end of the year, Sports Illustrated reported today. Nolan, who has been with Fox Sports since the launch of Fox Sports 1 in 2013, is widely expected to join ESPN. [SI.com 9.28]
Melrose Back on NHL Network
ESPN NHL analyst Barry Melrose is returning to NHL Network as a studio analyst, reprising a role he held from 2011-15, it was announced Tuesday. Melrose will continue working for ESPN. His first appearance on the network will be on a Western Conference preview show on Sunday. [NHL via Awful Announcing 9.28]
