Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition, Bob Costas announces his retirement from MLB play-by-play broadcasting, TNT Sports & UNINTERRUPTED partner to develop a new show, and new talent join The Ringer.
Bob Costas Retires from MLB Broadcast Booth
According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Bob Costas is retiring as a Major League Baseball play-by-play caller, marking the end of a legendary run in which he became synonymous with the game over four decades and earned a place in the broadcasting wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Costas confirmed the news Thursday when reached by The Athletic, but said he would prefer to address the decision and his MLB play-by-play career at a later date. His last game broadcast on TBS was the New York Yankees’ Game 4 clincher in the American League Divison Series. Costas vaguely insinuated that it might be his final call toward the end of the broadcast.
TNT Sports & UNINTERRUPTED Partner in Development of New Show, Above the Fold with Jemele Hill
TNT Sports and UNINTERRUPTED have announced a partnership to develop a new show that will be part of the TNT Sports on truTV programming lineup. The weekly show – featuring acclaimed journalist Jemele Hill – delves into important stories and topics centered on the connection between sports and culture.
The weekly sports magazine series, Above the Fold with Jemele Hill – which debuted on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 5 p.m. ET on truTV, delivers a comprehensive and engaging exploration of diverse stories inside the sports world. The 60-minute show will feature Hill and a rotating lineup of correspondents who will discuss and debate the latest news surrounding some of the biggest and most relevant sports stories of the week.
Hill has previously appeared as a guest correspondent on TNT Sports’ The Arena, the in-depth storytelling franchise that offered thoughtful discussion centered on events taking place on and off the court during the 2020-2021 NBA season.
Above the Fold airs each Thursday, beginning at 7 p.m. on truTV.
Hill will serve as Executive Producer. Executive Producers for UNINTERRUPTED are LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, and Philip Byron. Joe Braswell and Steve Barry are executive producing on behalf of Kelchris who have an overall deal with The SpringHill Company. Camille Maratchi and Amy Glickman Brown are Co-Executive Producers for UNINTERRUPTED.
Spotify’s The Ringer Announces New Talent Joining the Network
Spotify’s The Ringer has added four prominent voices to its growing talent roster. Todd McShay, Joel Anderson, Kirk Goldsberry, and David Jacoby are joining The Ringer lineup, bringing their unique perspectives and expertise to engage listeners, viewers, and readers across various topics in sports, culture, and beyond.
McShay launched a new audio and video podcast with The Ringer on Tuesday, October 22, The McShay Show. The podcast will provide in-depth scouting and analysis of the top draft-eligible players in college football. It will feature guests from The Ringer as well as from across the draft, college football, and NFL landscapes. Todd plans to include mock drafts, player rankings, and coverage of the best story lines from college football and the NFL. The podcast builds on McShay’s status as an NFL draft insider, as well as a college football and NFL analyst, with over two decades of experience scouting the nation’s top pro prospects. He was previously an analyst at ESPN, where he contributed to SportsCenter, NFL Live, College Football Live, and ESPN Radio. He covered many of the top college football games over the past decade as a sideline analyst at ESPN and was a two-time Emmy Award-winning contributor to ESPN’s College GameDay. McShay is already a regular guest on The Ryen Russillo Podcast.
Anderson will provide perspective on the intersection of sports and culture across audio/video and written content with the goal of challenging conventional narratives. He is a respected journalist and commentator, and was most recently staff writer at Slate. Before that, he was a senior writer at ESPN and a senior national reporter at BuzzFeed . Anderson hosted Seasons 3 (murders of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.), 6 (focus on LA Riots), and 8 (Becoming Justice Thomas) of Slow Burn – with Slow Burn 8 reigning Pod of the Year.
Goldsberry will bring his unique blend of NBA analysis, data visualization, and reporting to The Ringer’s basketball coverage across the web, audio, and video. He is a New York Times bestselling author and a leading expert in basketball analytics. He previously served as the Vice President of Strategic Research for the San Antonio Spurs and as the lead analyst for 2016 USMNT basketball, won gold at the Rio Olympics. He was also a staff writer at Grantland and ESPN. As a professor, he has held positions at Michigan State University, Harvard, and the University of Texas at Austin, where he currently teaches.
Jacoby will be the new co-host of The Mismatch, a Ringer podcast focused on the NBA, along with long-time Ringer co-host Chris Vernon. Jacoby will continue to co-host Food News alongside Juliet Litman. He is a longtime producer, host, and media personality deeply rooted in sports commentary and pop culture. Best known for co-hosting Jalen & Jacoby with Jalen Rose, Jacoby is a dynamic voice who blends sharp analysis with an authentic connection to his audience. Having built a career that spans from producing hit shows at ESPN, being a significant contributor to Grantland and hosting his own successful podcasts, this reunites Jacoby with Simmons.
