Most MLB national media rights deals would reportedly extend a year if at least 60 games are missed next season; several NBA teams make broadcast talent announcements; and Taylor McGregor is departing Marquee Sports Network and taking a full-time role with ESPN. Plus news on the Detroit Tigers, ESPN Radio, Michelle Beadle and Fox Sports Radio.
Report: Most MLB rights deals would extend extra year if lockout costs 60+ games
Some national Major League Baseball media rights deals would extend an additional year — to 2029 — in the event that a potential lockout next season results in the cancellation of at least 60 games per team, Andrew Marchand and Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported Friday. The league’s rightsholders would still pay MLB for the 2027 season even if no games are played, but as compensation their rights would extend for no additional fee into 2029.
The collective bargaining agreement between the league and players association expires December 1, and it is widely expected that the sides will fail to reach a deal and the owners will impose a lockout. The owners have publicly pushed for a salary cap and floor system — which the league has tied to addressing the issue of television blackouts — along with centralizing local media revenue. MLB last had a lockout ahead of the 2022 season, but it was resolved in time to salvage the 162-game schedule. The league has not missed games over a work stoppage since a strike that started in 1994 and ended the next year.
Prior to this season, MLB inked short-term media rights agreements with ESPN, NBC Sports, and Netflix to complement its existing pacts with Fox Sports, TNT Sports and Apple. It is not known which of the rights deals would extend into 2029.
As for regional games, Marchand and Drellich reported that most contracts — which include “roughly 125 and 145 contests a season” — would be adjusted based on “a pro-rata calculation.”
NBA teams make several broadcast talent announcements
The Chicago Bulls announced this week that a rotation of analysts will work alongside returning play-by-play voice Adam Amin this season, following the offseason death of longtime analyst Stacey King. The rotation will include Kendall Gill, Robbie Hummel, Will Perdue, Bill Wennington and Scott Williams. Gill is also part of the Bulls studio show on CHSN with Cam Smith and K.C. Johnson.
Moving to the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves are adding play-by-play voices Kevin Calabro and Jon “Boog” Sciambi for the coming season, working in a rotation with the returning Michael Grady alongside analyst Jim Petersen. Calabro had been the primary voice of the Trail Blazers until moving on from the organization this past summer. Radio voice Alan Horton will call some games on television as well, while Meghan McPeak will report on the sidelines and host the studio show for road games.
In other local NBA broadcasting news, Los Angeles Lakers television analyst Stu Lantz will only call the team’s home games for the upcoming 2026-27 season on Spectrum SportsNet LA, it was announced Thursday. Lantz, who is entering his 41st season broadcasting Lakers games, will continue working with play-by-play announcer Bill Macdonald. Danny Green will be the primary analyst for the road games, while the broadcasts have also added Roqui Theus as a reporter alongside Mike Trudell.
Atlanta Hawks television broadcasts, which are primarily airing on Gray Media-owned Atlanta News First beginning this season, will add ANF sports director Bailie Burmaster as a reporter and host alongside second-year broadcaster Madison Hock. The remainder of the broadcast team, including Bob Rathburn, Dominique Wilkins and Brian Oliver, will all return.
McGregor departing Marquee Sports Network, lands full-time role with ESPN
Chicago Cubs reporter Taylor McGregor is leaving Marquee Sports Network to take a full-time role with ESPN, she announced Thursday. McGregor, who has been balancing her responsibilities on Marquee with national assignments at ESPN since 2020, worked her final Cubs game this week.
McGregor posted a three-page statement on social media explaining her decision and thanking colleagues at Marquee Sports Network. During the game, she spoke in the booth with play-by-play announcer Jon “Boog” Sciambi and analyst Jim Deshaies, calling her tenure “the ride of a lifetime.”
McGregor, who was a recent guest on the “Sports Media Watch Podcast,” has primarily reported on college football for ESPN and recently gained national attention for her coverage of a power outage that delayed the start of the SMU-FSU Labor Day game. Prior to her time working with Marquee Sports Network and ESPN, McGregor reported on Rockies regional telecasts airing on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.
Marquee Sports Network has retained the rest of its broadcast team moving forward — which, in addition to Sciambi and Deshaies, includes Cole Wright, Elise Menaker and Alex Cohen — with contract extensions through the 2028 season, according to a report by Meghan Montemurro and Robert Channick of the Chicago Tribune.
Plus: Detroit Tigers, ESPN Radio, Michelle Beadle, Fox Sports Radio
- The Detroit Tigers have reached multiyear contract extensions with Jason Benetti and Dan Dickerson, the primary play-by-play announcers on television and radio, respectively. Benetti, who also calls games nationally for NBC Sports on “Sunday Night Baseball,” joined the Tigers prior to the 2024 season and has balanced his responsibilities with national assignments throughout that time. Dickerson has been calling Tigers games since 2000, initially debuting alongside Ernie Harwell before taking over the role full time three years later.
- YES Network play-by-play announcer Michael Kay announced on his radio show this week that he will provide play-by-play for the New York Yankees’ MLB Wild Card Series next week, working alongside analysts Eduardo Pérez and Tim Kurkjian. Kay has previously called three MLB Wild Card Series for ESPN’s TV platforms. ESPN needed at least new radio voices this postseason after laying off Karl Ravech and losing Dave Flemming.
- Michelle Beadle will be the new co-host of Matthew Berry‘s weekday sports talk show on The Roku Channel starting next week, according to a report by Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports. Beadle, who formerly hosted a weekday radio show with Cody Decker on SiriusXM, has worked on various television networks throughout her sports media career, including FanDuel TV, ESPN and Fox Sports. Berry’s company, Fantasy Life, is producing the show, called “Pregame with Matthew Berry,” debuting Monday in the timeslot formerly held by Rich Eisen‘s program.
- Fox Sports Radio has announced a new college football podcast featuring Jon “Stugotz” Weiner and Chris “The Bear” Fallica. The new show, which airs two times a week and is titled “College Football with Stugotz & The Bear,” made its debut on Friday and will be distributed by iHeartPodcasts. Weiner continues to host his afternoon drive weekday show on Fox Sports Radio, while Fallica remains a presence on Fox “Big Noon Kickoff.”
