NFL ON FOX STACKS BROADCAST TEAMS WITH
NEW AND FAMILIAR FACES FOR 20TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
Buck & Aikman Return for 13th Season As Lead Broadcast Team with Andrews
Newcomers McNabb, Quinn, Diehl, Morrison, Kutcher & Ayanbadejo in Booth
Los Angeles - Next week, FOX Sports celebrates the 20th anniversary of its first NFL on FOX game telecast, and as the season approaches, the network is proud to unveil its 2014 broadcast teams, building on the strength of its well-respected lineup by coupling promising new talent with proven broadcast veterans. The announcement was made today by FOX Sports President, COO & Executive Producer, Eric Shanks, and Executive Producer John Entz. Regular-season games kick off on Sunday, Sept. 7, with doubleheader coverage featuring six match-ups beginning at 1:00 PM ET. FOX NFL SUNDAY, America's No. 1 pregame show for 20 years and winner of 21 Emmy Awards, precedes game coverage each NFL on FOX Sunday at 12:00 PM ET.
Joe Buck (@Buck) and Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman), the NFL's longest-running game broadcast team, return for their 13th season, this year welcoming Erin Andrews (@ErinAndrews), in her second season as an NFL on FOX sideline reporter, to the team. This season marks Buck's 21st with FOX Sports and Aikman's 14th. The trio calls its first regular-season game of the year from Dallas on Week 1, as the Cowboys host the NFC runner-up San Francisco 49ers at 4:25 PM ET.
Play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt (@KevinBurkhardt) shares the booth for the second year with John Lynch, in his sixth year as an analyst, teaming up with veteran sideline reporter Pam Oliver, in her 20th and final year on the FOX sidelines. The team's regular-season debut comes in a Week 1 clash in Atlanta, as the Falcons host the New Orleans Saints at 1:00 PM ET.
NFL on FOX's second-longest running broadcast team features play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert (@KennyAlbert) with analyst Daryl Johnston (@DarylJohnston) and Tony Siragusa (@TonySiragusa), the NFL's only on-field analyst, who begin their eighth campaign together in Chicago as Jay Cutler and the Bears welcome EJ Manuel and the Buffalo Bills at 1:00 PM ET.
Chris Myers (@The_ChrisMyers) returns to call games in 2014, this time with NFL veteran Ronde Barber, in his second year as an NFL on FOX analyst, and sideline reporter Jennifer Hale (@JenHale504). The crew debuts in Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers and new signal caller Josh McCown host the Carolina Panthers and Cam Newton at 4:25 PM ET.
Thom Brennaman, longtime play-by-play announcer, welcomes FOX Sports newcomer and former New York Giants offensive lineman David Diehl (@DaveDiehl66), a two-time Super Bowl winner, as analyst with Laura Okmin (@LauraOkmin) as sideline reporter. The trio hits the air for the first time at 1:00 PM ET from Houston, where the Texans host the Washington Redskins.
Rounding out NFL on FOX broadcast teams in 2014 is veteran play-by-play man Dick Stockton with a rotation of new analysts featuring former NFL standout quarterback and FOX Sports 1 analyst Donovan McNabb (@DonovanJMcNabb), former NFL and Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn (@3rd_Goal) and former NFL linebacker and FOX Sports 1 analyst Kirk Morrison (@KirkMorrison), in addition to sideline reporter Kristina Pink (@Kristina_Pink). Stockton's first game kicks off in Week 1 at 1:00 PM ET alongside Morrison and Pink, when St. Louis hosts Minnesota.
Also contributing to NFL on FOX broadcasts throughout the season are play-by-play announcers Sam Rosen, Justin Kutcher (@JustinKutcher), Gus Johnson (@GusJohnson) and Mike Goldberg (@MFG16); analysts Charles Davis (@CFD22) and Brendon Ayanbadejo (@Brendon310); and sideline reporter Peter Schrager (@PSchrags).
Mike Pereira (@MikePereira), former NFL Vice President of Officiating, resumes his role as FOX Sports' rules analyst to educate and inform viewers on the intricacies of the NFL rule book. He monitors the day's action from the FOX Network Center in Los Angeles, from which he breaks down controversial calls and interprets rules with the NFL on FOX studio or game personnel. Pereira also interacts with viewers throughout the day via Twitter.
2014 NFL on FOX announcer pairings:
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
Kenny Albert, Daryl "Moose" Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Dick Stockton, Donovan McNabb/Brady Quinn/Kirk Morrison and Kristina Pink
"We're excited by the depth and quality of the personnel we've assembled to call NFL on FOX games this season," said Entz. "This blend of veterans and newcomers is going to work hard to call the action, capture the game's nuances and keep the focus on the field, where it belongs."
The entire FOX NFL SUNDAY cast returns for the one-hour program, including co-hosts Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee (@CurtMenefee); analysts Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson (@JimmyJohnson) and Michael Strahan (@MichaelStrahan), the newest member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; top NFL insider Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer); rules expert Pereira; and comedic prognosticator Rob Riggle. Bradshaw and Long, both Hall of Famers, have been mainstays since the show's 1994 debut, while Johnson celebrates his 15th year. Glazer joined in 2004, Menefee in 2006 and Strahan in 2008 following his Super Bowl XLII win with the New York Giants.
Bradshaw, Buck, Long, Stockton and Albert are original NFL on FOX broadcasters with the network since 1994. Oliver enters her 20th year of service, followed by Rosen (19), Aikman and Johnston (14), Brennaman (12), Glazer and Siragusa (11), Myers (10) and Lynch (six).
Following its regular-season coverage, FOX Sports presents exclusive live postseason coverage including an NFC Wild Card Game, the NFC Divisional Playoffs and the NFC Championship Game.
The 2013-'14 NFL on FOX regular season was the network's most-watched ever (12.5/25), delivering an average of 21.2 million viewers, an 8% increase over 2012-'13 viewership (19.7 million) and a 5% increase over 2010's previous high. NFL on FOX in 2013 marked a 6% household ratings and 8% audience increase over 2012 (11.8/24, 19.7 million). The last four seasons of the NFL on FOX have been FOX's most-watched since the network first began broadcasting the sport in 1994 (2013 - 21.2 million; 2010 - 20.11 million; 2011 - 20.96 million and 2012 - 19.7 million).
The 2013 NFL on FOX's AMERICA'S GAME OF THE WEEK national games averaged a sensational 15.9/29, with 27.2 million viewers, and continues to rank as the most-watched show on television in households and all key male and adult demographics. AMERICA'S GAME OF THE WEEK finished +7% in rating and +10% in audience over the 2012-'13 season (14.8/26, 24.8 million viewers).
FOX NFL SUNDAY, America's most-watched pregame show since its 1994 debut, delivered a 3.4/8 for the 2013 season, with a season-high 5.5 million viewers for its final installment of the 2013 campaign, and on the year averaged 3.2/8 with 4.8 million viewers, up +3% in rating and +4% in audience over 2012-'13 (3.1/8, 4.6 million viewers).
Every NFL on FOX broadcast day begins with FOX NFL KICKOFF on FOX Sports 1 at 11:00 AM ET. The one-hour show, now in its second season, is hosted by Joel Klatt with three of the NFL's all-time greats - Donovan McNabb, Randy Moss and Brian Urlacher - serving as analysts each week.
--FOX SPORTS--
About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century FOX's wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FOX Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2; FOX Sports Regional Networks, their affiliated regional web sites and national programming; FOX Soccer Plus; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FOX Sports also encompasses FOX Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com, FOX Sports GO, Whatifsports.com and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are FOX's interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network, BTN 2Go and a licensing agreement that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network.
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