Behind The Mic: CBS Sports and TNT Sports Announce Men’s March Madness Championship Commentator Team

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 weeks edition, Prime Video adds Carl Edwards to the NASCAR announcers booth; Dan Wetzel joins ESPN as senior writer; and more.FanDuel Sports Network Adds Spanish Language Option for Braves TelecastFanDuel Sports Network will provide a Spanish language option for every regionally-televised Atlanta Braves regular season game in 2025 and have hired Francisco X.

Rivera as its first Spanish play-by-play announcer.Starting with Opening Day on March 27, Braves fans will be able to choose Spanish from their second audio program (SAP) options through any cable, satellite or streaming TV provider when tuning in to Braves games on FanDuel Sports Network South or FanDuel Sports Network Southeast.Additionally, there will be a separate video tile option for Spanish audio feeds on the FanDuel Sports Network app and on FanDuelSportsNetwork.com."Braves Country has a diverse and thriving Spanish-speaking community passionate about Los Bravos and our players, says Atlanta Braves President and CEO Derek Schiller.

As we work with our partners to bring fans closer to the team this season than ever before, this addition will help meet fans where they are and make Braves baseball even more accessible.Rivera joins FanDuel Sports Network as the first Spanish television voice of the Braves.

He started his MLB broadcasting career as a play-by-play announcer for FOX Deportes in 2006 and covered nine World Series for the network in different roles as a commentator, host and reporter.I feel honored to earn a full-time role calling Atlanta Braves games and to contribute to my FanDuel Sports Network family, says Rivera.

The first World Series I watched as a kid was the Braves vs.

Toronto Blue Jays in 1992.

I have seen firsthand how the Latino community is so tied to the sports culture in Atlanta during my previous visits to call the Super Bowl and Mexico National Team soccer games.

Im looking forward to serving as an ambassador for this city, this team and Braves fans throughout the Southeast.He has prior baseball play-by-play experience as a member of the Los Angeles broadcast team from 2009-11 on ESPN Deportes Radio and called weekly MLB games for DirecTV Latin America.

In 2012, he was the youngest broadcaster to call a World Series game on Spanish television in the United States.He has been one of the lead Spanish voices for Major League Soccer on Apple TV for two seasons, has been the Spanish radio play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Kings since 2018, was the lead voice for Clipper Vision telecasts for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2022-23 season and has been a Spanish TV announcer for FOX Sports weekly NFL coverage.Riveras resume includes calling events such as the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, UEFA Champions League and several soccer events in English, such as the FIFA Club World Cup, Confederations Cup, as well as U-20 Mens and Womens World Cups.

On December 28, 2025, he made history as the first Latino-born announcer to call an NHL game in English.

He has called MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL and MLS games in the last year.A native of Mexico City, Rivera has a broadcast journalism Bachelors degree from Long Beach State University.Prime Video Adds Hall-of-Famer Carl Edwards and Dynamic Trio of Pit Reporters to Round Out Announce Team for Inaugural NASCAR CampaignPrime Video unveiled the final pieces of a decorated announce team for its inaugural season of NASCAR Cup Series coverage, introducing newly-minted Hall of Fame driver Carl Edwards, Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne, and experienced pit reporters Kim Coon and Marty Snider.

The expanded lineup brings together a host of familiar faces for racing fans, as an exclusive, five-race package of NASCAR action debuts with the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25.Edwards joins host Danielle Trotta, along with third-generation racer and analyst Corey LaJoie, as an analyst for Prime Videos pre- and post-race studio show.

Bayne, Coon, and Snider will patrol pit road, complementing the broadcast booth team of seasoned race caller Adam Alexander, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte."We're thrilled to introduce Carl, Trevor, Kim, and Marty to our NASCAR on Prime Video team," says Alex Strand, Sr.

coordinating producer at Prime Video.

"Carl's Hall-of-Fame career, combined with the extensive experience of Trevor, Kim, and Marty, bring an unparalleled authenticity to our coverage.

Their deep knowledge and genuine passion will resonate with fans and elevate the NASCAR viewing experience.

We look forward to showcasing our entire announce team when we debut in just a few short months."Named one of NASCARs 75 Greatest Drivers, Carl Edwards brings his enthusiasm for racing to Prime Videos inaugural season of coverage.

His impressive resume in NASCARs top series includes 28 Cup victories, 124 top-5s, 220 top-10s, and 22 poles.

He was runner-up for a NASCAR Championship twice, including the closest finish in NASCAR history, losing by a tiebreaker in 2011.

Just last month, he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.Trevor Bayne boasts an impressive racing pedigree.

In 2011, he made history as the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500, claiming victory just one day after his 20th birthday.

Throughout his career, Bayne competed across NASCAR's top series, starting 187 Cup Series races, 164 Xfinity Series races, and 9 Craftsman Truck Series races.

His record includes 3 wins, 99 top-5s, and 9 poles across these circuits.

In addition to his upcoming NASCAR on Prime Video role, Bayne currently coaches Truck Series drivers for Tricon Garage, Xfinity Series drivers for Joe Gibbs Racing, and works as an analyst for the ARCA Menards Series on FOX Sports.Kim Coon joins Prime Video with extensive NASCAR broadcasting experience.

Currently a pit reporter for NBC Sports and CW Sports, Coon also co-hosted NASCAR's popular Glass Case of Emotion podcast alongside driver Ryan Blaney and Chuck Bush.

Her notable resume includes a decade as a pit reporter with Motor Racing Network (MRN), and a stint as part of the morning news broadcast team at WCCB in Charlotte, N.C.

Additionally, Coon regularly hosts digital programs and live events for NASCAR, further deepening her connection to the sport and its fans.Veteran broadcaster Marty Snider brings decades of experience to Prime Video, serving as a pit reporter for NBC Sports' NASCAR Cup, Xfinity Series, and INDYCAR coverage, as well as handling pre- and post-race duties for NASCAR studio programming.

His versatile career spans a wide range of sports, including assignments for Football Night in America, the Olympics, the NBA, Professional Bull Riding, off-road racing, and open-wheel racing.

Snider's talents extend beyond reporting, as he co-produced HBO's Emmy Award-winning series 24/7 featuring Jimmie Johnson and co-hosted The Morning Drive on Sirius XM's NASCAR Radio.

His excellence in broadcasting has been recognized with six network Emmy awards and NASCAR.com's "Pit Reporter of the Year" honor in 2007.CBS Sports and TNT Sports Announce 2025 NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Championship Commentator TeamsTNT Sports and CBS Sports combined coverage of the NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Championship will feature an experienced and deep lineup of announcers.Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson will call this years NCAA Mens Final Four National Semifinals on Saturday, April 5 and National Championship on Monday, April 7 from San Antonio on CBS.

This is the second year in a row they will call the Final Four together.Former Michigan star and NBA veteran Jalen Rose joins this years coverage as a game analyst for the first two rounds and as a studio analyst during the First Four and Final Four.Gene Steratore will serve as rules analyst throughout the Tournament and will be on-site in San Antonio for the Final Four.Ernie Johnson will host studio coverage from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York, joined by Charles Barkley, Clark Kellogg and Kenny Smith.

Adam Lefkoe will host studio coverage from TNT Sports Studios in Atlanta alongside Jay Wright, Candace Parker and Seth Davis.

Adam Zucker will also serve as a host from New York, while Wally Szczerbiak and Wright will also make appearances from the CBS Broadcast Center.

Jamie Erdahl will provide game updates.The tournament will tip off Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19 with the NCAA First Four on truTV.

Spero Dedes, Jim Spanarkel and reporter Jon Rothstein will call First Four action from Dayton, Ohio.

Studio coverage for the First Four will originate from Atlanta with Lefkoe and analysts Wright, Rose and Davis.MavsTV Celebrates International Women's Day With All-Female BroadcastIn celebration of International Womens Day and as part of the Dallas Mavericks Womens Night at American Airlines Center, MavsTV brought the theme to screens far and wide, producing its first all-women broadcast.The ensemble featured familiar faces Dana Larson and Lesley McCaslin, Dallas icon and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, and, making their MavsTV debuts, Raegan Pebley and Kylen Mills.The all-women team offered their basketball and broadcasting expertise, providing viewers with a fresh perspective during a tough stretch for the short-handed Mavs.ESPN also celebrated International Womens Day with an all-female national broadcast of the Grizzlies-Mavericks matchup that extended to an entirely women-led production-control-room.Full story: https://www.mavs.com/mavs-tv-all-women-broadcast/Matt Barrie Signs Multi-Year Deal with ESPN, Continues Multi-Faceted Role Across SportsCenter and College FootballESPN has signed anchor and studio host Matt Barrie to a new, multi-year contract where he will continue his hosting duties on SportsCenter along with his studio and game-calling roles in college football coverage and TGL golf play-by-play.ESPN has been my home for 12 years, and theres no other place Id rather continue my career, says Barrie.

Im a college football junkie, and a golf nerd, so this job is perfect for me.Matt is a consummate professional and a key part of our SportsCenter, golf and college football coverage, says Dave Roberts, Executive Vice President, Executive Editor, Sports News and Entertainment.

His passion for the game, versatility as a host, and ability to connect with fans make him an invaluable member of our team.Since joining ESPN in 2013, Barrie has been a familiar presence on SportsCenter, currently co-anchoring the 2 p.m.

ET weekday edition.

Additionally, he hosts SportsCenter on the Road from major sporting events, including college campuses during college football season, and on-site at the College Football Playoff and National Championship, the Masters Tournament, and the PGA Championship.In 2019, Barrie expanded his role as the studio wraps host for college football Saturdays on ESPN in addition to hosting the end-of-day College Football Final recap show.

He has also served as the play-by-play voice of ESPNs Thursday night college football, and this year his play-by-play responsibilities grew to include the inaugural season of TGL, the new tech-centric golf league.Throughout his career, Barrie has been recognized with 11 Emmy Awards and three Edward R.

Murrow journalism awards for his outstanding contributions to sports broadcasting.Id like to thank Burke Magnus, Mike McQuade, Dave Roberts, and Mike Foss for their belief and support, says Barrie.

Im looking forward to building on what weve accomplished and continuing to grow and have fun.Prior to ESPN, Barrie worked at KXAS, NBC5 in Dallas, where he anchored live coverage of the Cowboys, Rangers, and Mavericks, earning multiple prestigious awards.

He also spent time as a sports anchor/reporter in South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, covering major college football and professional sports.A native of Scottsdale, Ariz., Barrie graduated from Arizona State Universitys Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

In 2020, he was inducted into the schools Alumni Hall of Fame.Dan Wetzel Joins ESPN as Senior WriterDan Wetzel, one of Americas most widely read and decorated sports writers of the past two decades, has joined ESPN as a senior writer, strengthening ESPNs Investigative and Enterprise Journalism Unit.

Wetzel, who has covered sports events around the world, comes to ESPN from Yahoo Sports, where he had been a national columnist since 2003.At ESPN, Wetzel will focus on investigative reporting, news analysis, feature storytelling and will work in multiple platforms, including the podcast and television/streaming spaces.

He begins work on March 17.Joining Wetzel as a recent addition to the unit is producer Juanita Ceballos, whose work has earned Emmy and Edward R.

Murrow awards alongside being named a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

A graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Ceballos work has appeared on FRONTLINE, VICE News, HBO, Showtime, Telemundo, Al Jazeera, Univision, NBC News, TIME and The New York Times.We are thrilled with these two impressive additions, says Chris Buckle, the ESPN vice president who oversees the unit.

With the recent re-signings of senior writers Mark Fainaru-Wada and Michael Fletcher, ESPN is further cemented as the place to find best-in-class investigative and enterprise journalism.The unit produces various types of journalism news breaks, magazine-style investigative and feature stories, documentaries, and podcasts, among others -- for all ESPN brands and platforms.Wetzel, also a New York Times bestselling author, has been honored more than a dozen times by the Associated Press Sports Editors, and his work has regularly appeared in the annual The Years Best Sports Writing publication.

He has covered all major professional sports as well as college sports, the Olympics and the World Cup and has been part of numerous investigative stories on pro and college sports.As a screenwriter, Wetzel co-wrote Life of a King, a 2014 movie starring Cuba Gooding Jr.

and Dennis Haysbert.

He is the author of more than two dozen sports-related books, including Glory Road with NCAA basketball coach Don Haskins, which became a Disney movie, and the Epic Athletes series of biographies for children.A member of the U.S.

Basketball Writers Hall of Fame, Wetzel is a Massachusetts native and graduated from the University of Massachusetts, where he majored in political science and was editor of the campus newspaper.Fainaru-Wada, a best-selling author and Polk, Peabody, and Emmy award winner among other accolades, joined ESPN in November of 2007 as an investigative reporter.

Last month, ESPN published his piece HOF voters confront tough question: Should a Chiefs great who committed murder-suicide get in?Fletcher came to the unit in early 2020 from ESPNs Andscape and has focused on politics, criminal justice and social issues.

Prior to joining ESPN in January of 2016, he spent 21 years at The Washington Post, where his beats included the national economy, the White House and race relations.

He is the co-author of an award-winning 2007 biography on U.S.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Among Fletchers work in 2024 was Group blocks Ty Cobb's relative for defending Negro Leagues decision..

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