NBC quickly hires Maria Taylor after her departure from ESPN

Maria Taylor has joined NBC much less than a week right after her deal with ESPN expired.

NBC formally designed the announcement throughout its primetime Olympic exhibit Friday before a replay of the opening ceremony.

ESPN and Taylor declared Wednesday that they could not agree on a new deal. Her very first assignment for NBC will be the Tokyo Olympics, exactly where she will be part of Mike Tirico throughout the nightly two one/two to 3 several hours of “Prime Plus” protection as very well as provide as a correspondent.

NBC also said that Taylor will be a host and contributor for “Football Night in America” on Sundays throughout NFL year and will host the network’s protection of this season’s Tremendous Bowl.

“Maria has excelled in a large variety of roles at marquee events, and will be a potent addition to our crew. We are constantly seeking to strengthen, and Maria is heading to make us improved. We are extremely enthusiastic for her to be part of us appropriate away in Tokyo,” NBA Sporting activities chairman Pete Bevacqua said in a assertion.

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Taylor had been with ESPN considering that 2014 but her deal expired Tuesday. Her past assignment for the community was Tuesday night time at the NBA Finals, exactly where she was the pregame and postgame host for the network’s “NBA Countdown” exhibit. Taylor had hosted “NBA Countdown” considering that 2019 as very well as currently being a reporter for “College GameDay” and ABC “Saturday Night Football” considering that 2017.

Taylor said in a assertion: “Literally, internet hosting the Olympics, Football Night in America, and the Tremendous Bowl is what I dreamed of when I started out in television – and this would not be achievable devoid of standing on the shoulders of all of all those who came before me and designed this path achievable. And I approach to shell out it forward.”

ESPN had been discussing a deal with Taylor for over a yr but factors attained a boiling position over the earlier thirty day period. Taylor rejected an extension past yr and the two sides were considerably apart heading into the NBA Finals. Then came a report from The New York Instances detailing remarks colleague Rachel Nichols designed about Taylor past yr throughout the NBA’s restart in Florida.

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Nichols, who is white, was released in September 2019 as the NBA Finals host but the community afterwards resolved to encourage Taylor, who is Black.

Nichols said in an accidentally recorded telephone phone received by the Instances: “I want Maria Taylor all the achievement in the entire world — she covers football, she covers basketball. If you will need to give her a lot more factors to do mainly because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime history on variety — which, by the way, I know individually from the female side of it — like, go for it. Just obtain it someplace else. You are not heading to obtain it from me or taking my issue away.”

Nichols apologized July five whilst internet hosting “The Leap.” She was slated to be the sideline reporter for the Finals, but was pulled off the assignment.

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