Sports media veteran Mike Yam is joining the NFL Network as a news anchor, he announced. Yam will join the network’s rotation of news anchors, providing NFL Now news updates.
Yam, who had been with Pac-12 Networks as a studio host since it launched in 2012, was let go in August “due to financial reasons” — just days after the Pac-12 Conference initially announced it would not be playing football this fall.
The network laid off dozens of other employees before eventually reversing its decision not to play, landing on a seven-game football schedule beginning Nov. 7.
In addition to the NFL Network, Yam is a host on SiriusXM’s college sports channels including Pac-12 Radio and ESPNU. He’s also been the play-by-play voice on Intel Sports’ coverage of the NFL, college basketball and golf on its True View product since 2017.
Prior to Pac-12 Networks, Yam spent four years at ESPN, appearing on “SportsCenter” and contributing to the network’s NBA, college football and college basketball coverage. He also made appearances on ESPN Radio and as an NBA TV studio host.
“Mike’s versatility working as a host in sports television and radio for more than 15 years makes him a great addition to our news desk team,” an NFL Network spokesperson said.
Yam has been a trailblazing figure for Asian-American broadcasters. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, only about 5% of announcers across all industries are Asian, while 63.4% are white and 17.1% are Black.
In a 2019 interview with Front Office Sports, Yam said that when he was growing up, he didn’t realize that being a sportscaster was even an option. He also highlighted the importance of representation in the industry — Yam’s platform will only grow with his latest gig.
“From the on-air side, I get legitimately excited when I see other Asian Americans on air,” Yam said at the time. “What’s next is continuing to develop younger students who have a passion for this and see a pathway in an industry that’s really cool. It’s so crucial and important for younger people to see someone who looks like them doing this.”
