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Michelle Beadle and Matthew Berry are joining forces.
Beadle has been named the cohost of the new Roku show, Pregame with Matthew Berry, Front Office Sports has learned.
The new weekday sports talk series will debut on Monday. Produced by Berry’s own Fantasy Life company, the two-hour show will stream live and free on the Roku Sports Channel Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET.
Mo Hasan, the former college football quarterback turned creator, will also join the cast of the new show, which was announced on Wednesday. Beadle confirmed the news in a statement to FOS on Friday.
“I was driving from L.A. back to San Antonio for the offseason … when ‘MB’ called. Thinking it was Mike Breen, I picked up immediately. It was Berry. But he did have an offer I couldn’t refuse. The opportunity to do TV daily, and laugh, was a no-brainer. Plus, if you don’t like it, Mo and I blame Matthew.”
Added Hasan: “It’s honestly crazy getting to work with two legends I used to watch growing up. I’ll be the bridge, translating Berry’s references for anyone under 30. It’s going to be pure chaos.”
This won’t be just a fantasy football show. The casting of a high-profile, opinionated NBA voice like Beadle suggests it will cover everything from fantasy and the NFL to the biggest news and games. The show will also delve into sports betting and pop culture and include interviews with newsmakers from the world of sports and entertainment. Pregame with Matthew Berry takes the slot of The Rich Eisen Show, which moved to the ESPN app and Disney+ a year ago.
“There is no better hang at the bar than Michelle Beadle,” said Berry. She’s smart, hilarious and fearless. From sports to pop culture there’s nothing she doesn’t have an opinion on. I’m thrilled she said yes, and only a little worried about what she’ll say once we’re live.
“Meanwhile Mo Hassan brings the D1 quarterback perspective and annoyingly, the looks. I’ve been lucky enough to work with a number of hugely talented people at the start of their careers and watch them blow up and I can’t wait for people to meet Mo.”
The two former ESPNers look like a solid fit. Both Beadle and Berry are funny, wisecracking personalities. Both like to combine humor, pop culture, and entertainment with sports. Both previously worked at ESPN and NBC Sports.
Beadle spent eight years at ESPN across two separate stints, cohosting Get Up, NBA Countdown, and SportsNation. She also worked at NBC Sports for two years, hosting The Crossover with Michelle Beadle and anchoring NBCSN’s coverage of the 2012 London Olympics.
Berry, nicknamed “The Talented Mr. Roto,” spent 15 years at ESPN and another four at NBC and its Football Night in America pregame show. He’s viewed as the country’s premier voice on fantasy sports.
They’ll both retain their other sports media gigs. Beadle, one of the industry’s signature basketball voices, hosts Run It Back on FanDuel TV with former NBA stars Lou Williams and Chandler Parsons.
Berry founded FantasyLife.com, the home of his rankings and “Love/Hate” column. In February, the former NBC Sports talent became the first fantasy analyst ever to appear on a Super Bowl pregame show. He also hosts the Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry podcast.
Gabe Goodwin’s Blue Duck Media is providing development, production, and creative support. Goodwin is a former executive producer at ESPN and Fox Sports, and he ran Garbage Time with Katie Nolan. The show will originate from Ross Production Services in Wallingford, Connecticut, about 25 miles down the road from ESPN’s main campus in Bristol.
On Wednesday, Joe Franzetta, head of sports for Roku Media, welcomed Berry to the company in a statement. “His unparalleled expertise in fantasy, his approachable conversation, and his uncanny ability to weave together sports and pop-culture makes us excited to bring Matthew’s unique voice to Roku, for free, as we continue expanding our live sports programming on The Roku Channel,” said Franzetta.
