Brian Windhorst discusses his future at ESPN amid an impending contract expiration; Tony Reali and others could reportedly be in play for FS1 programming; and NBC Sports continues to add to its NBA talent roster.
Brian Windhorst says there have not been negotiations with ESPN for new contract
ESPN senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst, whose contract with the company is said to expire this summer, said on the Sports Media with Richard Deitsch podcast that he is not currently in active negotiations for a renewal.
Windhorst has been a member of the network for the last 15 years, appearing across studio programming and other broadcasts. “I’ve been at ESPN 15 years and the company has been wonderful to me, and I would love to continue at ESPN,” Windhorst said. “There’s no negotiations, so I can very simply say to you there’s no negotiations. So I would love to stay on if that works. If that doesn’t work, I’m 47, I’m not 64. My career will continue, I hope, but I appreciate that people do write about it and care because it does show a different thing, but I’ve covered the NBA for 23 years. I want to cover the NBA.”
Windhorst acknowledged that he is not worried about the status of his deal and aligned his focus on the NBA Playoffs and subsequent events surrounding the league, which has consisted of the NBA Draft, free agency and the ongoing NBA Summer League. Over the years, he has inked a number of contracts at ESPN and shared that he has not had a stressful situation because the deals are generally lined up with the start of the league season.
“When our season ends in July, a lot of people are on vacation, so it is not unusual for this business to be taken care of later,” Windhorst said. “But I’m going to keep getting up and working for ESPN.”
Tony Reali reportedly “in play” as FS1 option
On Monday afternoon, Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported the cancellations of three FS1 shows – “Breakfast Ball,” “The Facility” and “Speak” – along with the departure of Joy Taylor from the network. With speculation surrounding the future of FS1, sources told Michael McCarthy and Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports that Tony Reali, Max Kellerman and Kay Adams “could be in play for new FS1 programming.”
“I’m open to talking to anybody and everybody at all times,” Reali said to Front Office Sports. At the moment, he is said to be taking a vacation with his family before deliberating his next steps.
Reali recently completed a run of 21 years hosting “Around the Horn” on ESPN, and he has divulged that his contract expires this August. Since the finale of the program, he has created YouTube content and also guest starred on Meadowlark Media-produced episodes of “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” and “South Beach Sessions.”
NBC adds to NBA roster
Grant Liffmann, a former NBA executive with the Atlanta Hawks, is reportedly joining NBC as part of its forthcoming coverage of the National Basketball Association, according to Ryan Glasspiegel and Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports. Liffmann, who previously worked for NBC Sports Bay Area for over five years broadcasting Golden State Warriors games, is said to be making his return to the company as a front office insider where he will analyze roster moves.
Moreover, NBC Sports has added Terry Gannon to its NBA coverage as a play-by-play announcer. Gannon has been a golf commentator for the company over the last 15 years and has been calling Big Ten Conference basketball since 2023. Furthermore, he had previously announced basketball games for regional networks in North Carolina and for ESPN on the national level.
The addition of Gannon and reported hiring of Liffmann adds to a talent roster that includes play-by-play broadcasters Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle, analysts Reggie Miller, Grant Hill and Jamal Crawford and Michael Jordan serving as a special contributor. NBC Sports has also added Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter in studio analyst roles, and Maria Taylor and Ahmed Fareed will be serving as studio hosts for the broadcast venture.
