Rich Eisen is making a rare return to ESPN to promote the NFL Draft; Rebecca Lowe is joining Kentucky Derby coverage; ESPN and TNT want Dwyane Wade; Jimmy Johnson is staying with Fox Sports.
Eisen to guest on ESPN’s NFL Live
Former ESPN SportsCenter anchor Rich Eisen, who left the network in 2003 for the NFL Network role he holds to this day, will appear on ESPN’s NFL Live Thursday to promote the NFL Draft, Sports Business Daily reported Wednesday. Eisen’s appearance, one of few on ESPN since his departure, is part of a broader cross-promotional effort between ESPN and NFL Network for this year’s draft. ESPN2 simulcast NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” Thursday and will do so again Friday, while ESPN college football analysts Desmond Howard and Kirk Herbstreit — who are working a college-themed draft telecast on ABC — will both appear on NFL Network’s “NFL Draft Kickoff.” [Sports Business Daily 4.24]
Lowe to co-host NBC’s Derby coverage
NBC Sports announced this week that its English Premier League studio host Rebecca Lowe will co-anchor coverage of the Kentucky Derby next month. Lowe fills the vacancy left by Bob Costas, who departed NBC Sports at the end of last year. Lowe has never before worked the Derby. Since joining NBC in 2013, her non-soccer roles have been largely confined to NBC’s Olympic Games coverage. [NBC Sports 4.23]
ESPN, Turner, pursuing Wade
Former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, who played his final NBA game earlier this month, is being courted by ESPN and TNT for an on-air role, the New York Post reported Tuesday. The networks are said to be pitching Wade on a studio analyst role during the current postseason, though one would imagine a longer-term role is also being considered. Wade served as a guest analyst on ABC’s NBA studio during the 2015 NBA Finals. [NYP 4.23]
Johnson staying with NFL on FOX
The New York Post reported Tuesday that Fox NFL analyst Jimmy Johnson is remaining with the network under a two-year contract extension. According to the report, there had been rumblings that Johnson would retire from Fox after this season. [NYP 4.23]
