Baseball will have some wonderful shows, heading the World Series; The NFL has kicked off too!
By David J. Halberstam 08/08/2025
Brent did 6 NCAA Final Fours and 6 NBA Championships for CBS Television. He also announced several more NBA title rounds for ESPN Radio. Brent Musburger called basketball at the highest level, network TV, for over 40 years. He was also somewhat of a pioneer in the sense that he made it permissible for play-by-play announcers to offer opinions. Brent was more than a set-up man.
When it comes to basketball, you might argue that after Marv Albert, Musburger was the most influential network television play-by-play announcer ever. He left his fingerprints on the coverage of both the NBA and college basketball.
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Ahead of its 32nd season presenting the NFL, FOX Sports today unveils its 2025 lineup of storied broadcasters, Pro Football Hall of Fame analysts and legendary former players anchoring game and studio coverage. With decades of experience in the broadcast booth and on the field, the renowned FOX NFL game and studio broadcast teams continue to set the standard in excellence in sports broadcasting. The 2025 FOX NFL broadcast team announcement was made today by Brad Zager, President, Production & Operations/Executive Producer, FOX Sports.
Following their celebrated call of Super Bowl LIX, which set an all-time viewership record, FOX NFL’s lead announce team of critically acclaimed and award-winning play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and seven-time Super Bowl champion and analyst Tom Brady return for their second season together. They again are joined on the sidelines by Erin Andrews, the first woman singularly honored with the Pat Summerall Award, and Tom Rinaldi, a 17-time Sports Emmy winner, to call FOX Sports’ top regular and postseason NFL games.
Multi-sport play-by-play announcer and Sports Emmy winner Joe Davis, also the voice of FOX MLB, enters his third full season calling FOX NFL games alongside three-time Pro Bowl tight end and two-time Sports Emmy winner Greg Olsen. Award-winning broadcaster and the longest-tenured NFL television reporter, Pam Oliver, enters her 31st FOX’ NFL scheduled Award.
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Add Hoops: Doris Burke seamed more enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She has become much more confident. Still, ESPN isn’t totally sold on her. Very committed
Burke is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster and lead NBA analyst on ESPN and ABC. In 2024, Burke made history by becoming the first woman to serve as a television analyst for any major American men’s sports championship event when she called the NBA Finals on ABC. In 2020, Burke became the first woman to serve as a game analyst for the NBA Finals on any platform when she served as an analyst on ESPN Radio. Prior to the 2017-18 NBA season, ESPN named Doris Burke to the position of national NBA game analyst, making her the first woman to serve full time in that capacity.
While there was speculation about her future with ESPN’s top NBA broadcast team, she remains with the network and is expected to continue in her role as an analyst. There was some uncertainty about her position following the departures of Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, but it appears, she will remain as a part of the team.
Burke previously served as a WNBA analyst for the New York Liberty on MSG Network and also was a women’s college basketball analyst for CBS Sports (1998-2001) and Westwood One Radio (2000-02). The first woman to call Knicks radio/television broadcast (2000) and a BIG EAST men’s basketball game on television, Burke was a frequent columnist for Basketball Times Magazine and Eastern Basketball Magazine since 2001 as well as a contributing writer on the website for the Center for Sports Parenting.
Unfortunately for Burke, as the network transitions to an era that will soon feature the Inside the NBA guys, ESPN is considering leaving no stone unturned. That may well mean a demotion for Burke come next season as she gets set to call the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers.
