Writer’s Strike End a Boon for Sports Networks, Agencies
With the USFL starting its second season, TV partners Fox Sports and NBC Sports have finalized their announcer lineups.
On Fox, play-by-play announcer Curt Menefee and analyst Joel Klatt will once serve as Fox’s No. 1 announce team for USFL game telecasts.
Other Fox talents working USFL games will include play-by-play announcer Kevin Kugler, game analyst Mark Sanchez, plus former quarterbacks Brock Huard and Devin Gardner.
Menefee also hosts the network’s popular “FOX NFL Sunday” pregame show, while Klatt calls the network’s top college football games on “Big Noon Saturday.”
Sanchez, the former New York Jets quarterback, is gaining a reputation as one of the most promising young football analysts in years.
Last year, the league had over three million viewers for its debut weekend, but the numbers began to drop throughout the season until a rebound in the championship game.
Fox will kick off its coverage on Saturday, April 15, with a doubleheader featuring the Philadelphia Stars vs. the Memphis Showboats and New Jersey Generals vs. the defending champion Birmingham Stallions.
Fox will also televise the USFL championship game on Sunday, July 2, from Canton, Ohio.
Meanwhile, NBC has also finalized its TV lineup for spring football coverage.
Jac Collinsworth and Paul Burmeister will handle play-by-play. NBC’s game analysts will include former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, NFL Network analyst Michael Robinson, and New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan.
New games analysts will include Arizona Cardinals quarterback Colt McCoy, tight end Kyle Rudolph, and former NFL defensive lineman Anthony Herron. Zora Stephenson, Corey Robinson, Lewis Johnson, and Caroline Pineda will be sideline reporters.
NBC will kick off its coverage with the Michigan Panthers taking on the Houston Gamblers on Sunday, April 16.
Between them, NBC and FOX Sports will broadcast all 43 regular- and postseason USFL games across FOX, FS1, NBC, USA, and Peacock networks.
