Longtime Philly radio host Matt Cord will serve as the late Pierre Robert’s successor for WMMR’s midday slot starting next month, the station’s parent company, Beasley Media Group, announced Monday.
“Nobody replaces Pierre — let’s make that clear,” Cord said in a statement. “I promise to carry his amazing spirit into the studio bearing his name and do my best to make him proud.”
Cord will take on Robert’s former time slot starting Dec. 1, and leaves behind the morning slot at WMGK he took on in 2023 following fellow radio veteran John DeBella’s retirement. Cord previously helmed the midday time slot at WMMR briefly in the 1990s, when Robert switched to mornings, and his return to the rock station marks his third run there.
A replacement for Cord at WMGK is expected to be announced “in the coming weeks,” Beasley said.
A longtime friend of Robert’s, Cord has been appearing on the air in Philadelphia for about 40 years, and, in addition to stints at WMMR and WMGK, previously hosted mornings at BEN-FM and helmed the afternoon drive slot at Y-100. In addition to his radio work, Cord has served as the Sixers’ in-arena announcer for more than 20 years.
Despite his Philly radio pedigree, Cord, a Glen Mills native, noted that “no one can step into [Robert’s] sparkling high-top Converse and fill them.” Instead, he said, he hopes to “carry on” Robert’s role in tribute.
“Everyone at the station is so grateful that our longtime friend and radio family member Matt Cord is willing to take that on,” WMMR program director Chuck Damico said. “No one can replace Pierre, but I know that Matt can do him proud and Pierre would absolutely 100% approve of this. We will all continue to honor Pierre in everything we do forever.”
Robert, 70, was found dead in is home in Gladwyne on Oct. 29, prompting an outpouring of grief from friends and fans. A Northern California native, Robert joined WMMR as an on-air host in 1981, and quickly became one of Philadelphia’s most distinctive and well-liked radio personalities.
Following Robert’s death, hundreds of fans and friends flooded Rittenhouse Square, one of the late radio host’s favorite spots in Philadelphia. Among those who showed up to honor him were WXPN host Jim McGuinn, B101 host and former Preston & Steve cohost Kathy Romano, a slew of WMMR staffers, and Cord himself, The Inquirer previously reported.
Next month, WMMR plans to host a tribute concert for Robert dubbed Pierre Robert: A Show of Life. Set to take place at the Fillmore on Dec. 17, the show will feature appearances from the Hooters, Brent Smith and Zach Meyers of Shinedown, Lizzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of Halestorm, and Ed Roland of Collective Soul.
“We will sing, dance, and celebrate in the way Pierre would have wanted us to,” Damico said of the concert.
The Eagles (8-2) can’t quite clinch the NFC East yet, but will get a lot closer with a win against the Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1) Sunday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.
Philly’s magic number remains four to clinch the NFC East. That will drop to two if the Birds defeat the Cowboys Sunday, meaning the Eagles have a chance to lock up the division on Black Friday against the Chicago Bears.
That should make HBO’s in-season Hard Knocks about the NFC East, which debuts on Dec. 2, really compelling.
NFC East standings
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No team has won the NFC East in back-to-back years since 2004, when Donovan McNabb and the Eagles claimed their fourth-straight division title on the way to Super Bowl XXXIX.
On the other side of the coin are the New York Giants, who could become the first team officially eliminated from the playoffs. A Giants loss paired with a win by either the Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, or Seattle Seahawks would officially snuff out the Giants’ playoff hopes.
If that were to happen, it would be the earliest playoff exit for the Giants since 1976 and the soonest a team has been eliminated since the New York Jets in 2020, according to NFL playoffs analyst Joe Ferreira. The Giants would also become the 11th team since 1990 to be eliminated from playoff contention before their bye week.
While the Cowboys can’t be eliminated yet, they need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Entering Week 12, they are three back in the hunt for the NFC’s final wild card spot, and their odds of sneaking into the playoffs drop to just 4% with a loss to the Birds on Sunday, according to the New York Times playoff simulator.
Eagles (8-2) at Cowboys (4-5-1)
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
When: 4:25 p.m., Sunday
TV: Fox (Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi)
Radio: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick, Devan Kaney)
Streaming: Fox One
Cris Collinsworth’s milestone has a surprising Philly connection
NBCs Cris Collinsworth will call his 500th NFL game Sunday.
Tonight’s Sunday Night Football matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams is a milestone for veteran color analyst Cris Collinsworth, who will be calling his 500th NFL game.
Collinsworth, who spent eight seasons as a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, debuted way back in 1990 on NBC alongside the late Jim Donovan. During his 36-year broadcasting career, Collinsworth has called games alongside many all-time greats, including Troy Aikman, Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Philadelphia native Dick Stockton.
What may surprise Eagles fans is Collinsworth has called 32 games at Lincoln Financial Field, the most of any stadium in his long broadcasting career. And he’s called Eagles-Cowboys 17 times, including this season’s NFL kickoff game alongside Mike Tirico.
While the Eagles have no more Sunday Night Football games on their schedule, and a flex is highly unlikely, Collinsworth and NBC could end up with a Birds game in the playoffs — the Super Bowl, which the network is broadcasting.
Other games airing in Philly Sunday
Steelers at Bears: 1 p.m., CBS (Ian Eagle, J.J. Watt)
Giants at Lions: 1 p.m., Fox (Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Megan Olivi)
The Eagles remain in first place in the NFC entering Week 12, thanks to their win against the Los Angeles Rams back in Week 3.
The Birds hold tiebreakers against four of the top teams in the NFC — the Rams, Buccaneers, Packers, and Detroit Lions. They can add a fifth next week if they defeat the Bears on Black Friday.
While the Eagles could clinch the NFC East as soon as next week, their magic number to land the top playoff seen (and a first round bye) is seven.
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Sixers announcer Alaa Abdelnaby had high hopes this Sixers team would erase the memory of disappointment from last season. So far, he’s gotten his wish.
Coming off a thrilling overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Sixers seem rejuvenated this season behind young talents Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. Though things have slowed following their red-hot 4-0 start, newfound interest in the Sixers is showing up in the team’s TV ratings.
Through nine games, Sixers games on NBC Sports Philadelphia and NBC Sports Philadelphia+ are up 73% compared with the same point last season, according to Nielsen numbers obtained by The Inquirer. That works out to an average of about 138,000 viewers tuning into each game.
As a result, Philadelphia has the fourth-strongest growth in NBA TV ratings this season, trailing behind only Portland, Chicago, and Denver.
Not surprisingly, the most-watched Sixers game this season was last week’s win against the Boston Celtics, which, along with Denver Nuggets vs. Sacramento Kings on the West Coast, averaged 2.9 million viewers across NBC and Peacock.
A large reason behind the surge of interest is Maxey’s MVP-caliber performance. In his sixth season in the league, Maxey is averaging 33.4 points, up big from the 26.3 per game he put up last season.
Edgecombe, the Sixers’ energetic rookie, has dropped back down to Earth a bit after his 34-point debut against the Celtics. Still, Edgecombe is averaging 15.6 points and six rebounds and has been a workhorse for the Sixers, averaging 37.4 minutes per game, the second-most in the NBA behind Maxey.
NBC Sports Philadelphia’s pre- and postgame coverage, featuring Amy Fadool, Marc Jackson, and Jim Lynam, has also benefited from the increased interest in the Sixers. Viewership for Sixers Pregame Live is up 150% compared to last season’s average, while Sixers Postgame Live is up more than 60%.
Podcasts are also enjoying a bump. The Rights to Ricky Sanchez, the popular Sixers podcast co-hosted by 94.1 WIP’s Spike Eskin and Mike Levin, tends to have a loyal audience that doesn’t surge or sink too much. But Eskin said the podcast has seen a “pretty good jump,” especially during the Sixers’ hot start.
“The Ricky listeners are die-hards so they’re always there,” Eskin said, “but the hot start certainly gave the pod a lift as the people who checked out of the team last year seemed excited to get back in.”
Sixers NBA standings
Eastern Conference
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Western Conference
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Sixers news
Sixers center Joel Embiid hasn’t been on the court much so far this season.
“We will sing, dance, and celebrate in the way Pierre would have wanted us to,” said Chuck Damico, WMMR’s program director.
The concert will take place at the Fillmore on Dec. 17. Tickets will cost $50 and go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster on the Fillmore’s website. A portion of the proceeds will go to MANNA, the Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance.
The show will feature bands and musicians near and dear to the former WMMR host’s heart, including The Hooters, Brent Smith and Zach Meyers of Shinedown, Lizzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of Halestorm, and Ed Roland of Collective Soul.
A poster for a concert honoring former WMMR host Pierre Robert, who died unexpectedly last month.
Robert, 70, was found dead in his Gladwyne home on Oct. 29 after failing to show up for his midday show. The cause of Robert’s death was not disclosed and officials don’t plan to release additional information. Caroline Beasley, the CEO of WMMR’s parent company, Beasley Media Group, said foul play was not suspected.
“Everything seemed to be natural,” Preston Elliot said on air following Robert’s death. “It just appears he passed overnight.”
Robert was a musical institution in Philadelphia, where he spent 44 years on the air sharing his deep love of classic rock and expressing a humanity that touched musicians and listeners across the county.
“He was truly irreplaceable and his passing will leave a big hole especially in the local music community,” Hooters singer and cofounder Rob Hyman said. “Pierre was that ‘good citizen’ who will be missed by all.”
Pierre Robert’s annual Thanksgiving Day show will continue this year, hosted by his former producers.
With Thanksgiving approaching, WMMR plans to keep Robert’s annual Turkey Day show alive with a midday show anchored by Ryan Shuttleworth and featuring a collection of the rock host’s former producers — Kevin Gunn, Michael Anthony Thompson, Nick McIlwain, Jason Fehon, and Chris “Pancake” Ashcraft.
And yes, that means a heaping spoonful of Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” the folk singer’s 18-minute opus. Expect to hear three versions of the song, including the even-longer 25th anniversary edition, which will be played at noon.
WASHINGTON — National Public Radio will receive approximately $36 million in grant money to operate the nation’s public radio interconnection system under the terms of a court settlement with the federal government’s steward of funding for public broadcasting stations.
The settlement, announced late Monday, partially resolves a legal dispute in which NPR accused the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of bowing to pressure from President Donald Trump to cut off its funding.
On March 25, Trump said at a news conference that he would “love to” defund NPR and PBS because he believes they are biased in favor of Democrats.
NPR accused the CPB of violating its First Amendment free speech rights when it moved to cut off its access to grant money appropriated by Congress. NPR also claims Trump, a Republican, wants to punish it for the content of its journalism.
On April 2, the CPB’s board initially approved a three-year, roughly $36 million extension of a grant for NPR to operate the “interconnection” satellite system for public radio. NPR has been operating and managing the Public Radio Satellite System since 1985.
But corporation officials reversed course and announced that the federal funds would go to a entity called Public Media Infrastructure. NPR claimed the CPB was under mounting pressure from the Trump administration when the agency redirected the money to PMI, a media coalition that didn’t exist and wasn’t statutorily authorized to receive the funds.
CPB attorneys denied that the agency retaliated against NPR to appease Trump. They had argued that NPR’s claims are factually and legally meritless.
On May 1, Trump issued an executive order that called for federal agencies to stop funding for NPR and PBS. The settlement doesn’t end a lawsuit in which NPR seeks to block any implementation or enforcement of Trump’s executive order. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss is scheduled to preside over another hearing for the case on Dec. 4.
The settlement says NPR and CPB agree that the executive order is unconstitutional and that CPB won’t enforce it unless a court orders it to do so.
NPR, meanwhile, agreed to drop its request for a court order blocking CPB from disbursing funds to PMI under a separate grant agreement.
Katherine Maher, NPR’s president and CEO, said the settlement is “a victory for editorial independence and a step toward upholding the First Amendment rights of NPR and the public media system.”
Patricia Harrison, the corporation’s CEO, said CPB is pleased that the litigation is over “and that our investment in the future through PMI marks an exciting new era for public media.”
On Aug. 1, CPB announced it would take steps toward closing itself down after being defunded by Congress.
The Eagles will play their first game in 15 days when they take on the Green Bay Packers tonight on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
Unfortunately, some fans in Philly and across the country won’t be able to tune in.
An ongoing dispute between YouTube TV and Disney has left ESPN, ABC, and a handful of other channels dark on the so-called “skinny bundle” for more than a week, with no end in site.
The two sides continued to negotiate throughout the day Monday but remained far apart on dollars — Disney wants more money than parent-company Google wants to pay.
On Sunday, hopes of a potential deal got dimmer when YouTube TV announced a $20 credit for customers due to the continued outage of Disney’s channels.
YouTube TV has grown into the third-largest cable distributor in the country with about 10 million subscribers, trailing only Comcast and Charter. Not surprisingly, ESPN’s college football and Monday Night Football ratings were down slightly last week, which most experts attribute to the blackout.
Networks ending up blacked out over carriage disputes is rare, and ones lasting this long are even rarer, though they happen. TelevisaUnivision has been dark on YouTube TV since late September, and Disney-owned Fubo hasn’t had TNT or TBS since April 2024 due to a carriage dispute with Warner Bros. Discovery.
It’s the first of two Monday Night Football appearances this season for the Eagles. Hopefully, this dispute is settled before the Birds take on the Los Angeles Chargers on ESPN Dec. 8.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream Eagles-Packers.
How to watch Eagles at Packers
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisc.
When: 8:15 p.m., Monday
TV: ABC, ESPN (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, Laura Rutledge)
Radio: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick, Devan Kaney)
Streaming: ESPN Unlimited
How to stream Eagles at Packers
There are plenty of options to stream Eagles-Packers tonight.
While ESPN will likely remain blacked out on YouTube, there are a host of services that will stream tonight’s Monday Night Football game.
The most obvious is ESPN Unlimited, the network’s new subscription streaming service that includes every game that airs on all 12 ESPN networks. The service runs $29.99 a month.
You can also stream tonight’s game on a host of other skinny bundles, including Hulu + Live TV ($64.99 a month for three months), Sling ($4.99 for one day pass, $60.99 a month), Fubo ($84.99 a month with a free trial), and DirecTV Stream ($94.99 a month with a free trial).
If you’re just planning to watch the game on your phone or tablet, you can stream it on NFL+, the league’s mobile subscription streaming service. NFL+ runs $6.99 a month.
Because the game is simulcasting on ABC, most fans who live in and around Philadelphia and other cities should be able to stream the game for free using a digital antenna.
6abc’s signal in Philadelphia can be finicky. The station suggests an all-band antenna that covers Low-VHF, High VHF and UHF with long elements (rabbit ears for those of you old enough) that should be fully extended.
The Channel Master website has specific information about what channels are available using your address.
Jason Kelce takes a serious turn on tonight’s Monday Night Countdown
Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen (left) was interviewed by Jason Kelce for “Monday Night Countdown” ahead of Birds-Packers.
In his second season with ESPN, former Eagles star Jason Kelce has become known for his crowd-pleasing antics and fun-loving outfits, from his “South Philly tuxedo” to a Bills Mafia getup inspired by Fred Flintstone.
For tonight’s game, Kelce took a more serious tone for a featured story about Rodney Davis, the grandfather of Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen, whose heroic death during the Vietnam War saved the lives of several members of his platoon.
Davis was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after jumping on a grenade that landed in a bunker where he and five other soldiers were pinned down by enemy fire in 1967. He was 25, the same age Steen is now.
“He gave his life for his, for his …” said an emotional Samantha Steen, Davis’ daughter and Steen’s mother. “He gave up his life for other Marines.”
Quinta Brunson, Shane Gillis will be guests on the Manningcast
“Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson at a Phillies game in August.
Peyton and Eli Manning will be back on ESPN2 tonight for the Manningcast, and they’ll be welcoming some Philly star power to their Monday Night Football alternative broadcast
Quinta Brunson, the star and creator of Abbott Elementary, and comedian Shane Gillis will appear as guests tonight. It’s unclear when either will join the show.
Also joining the show will be Disney CEO Bob Iger, a lifelong Packers fan whose appearance coincided with the company’s dispute with YouTube TV.
It’ll be the sixth time the Eagles have appeared on the Manningcast, which is quietly in its fifth season at ESPN. Last season, Peyton and Eli turned to Downingtown native Miles Teller during the Eagles’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts — who attended the Mannings’ quarterback camp while a sophomore at Alabama — was a guest in 2022, where he revealed he liked to watch game tape of former San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and wore a hoodie with the phrase, “God bless whoever hating on me.”
“Other teams, it’s a copycat league, and if you can copycat it, you will. If you can’t, then you probably complain that it’s not fair,” Manning told The Inquirer. “So I’m on the Eagles’ side of it. I think it’s their niche, and it works, and they make it happen.”
How to “tush push” according to @JasonKelce: Head 👇, a$$ 👆. Got it.
The Eagles were overtaken Sunday by the Seattle Seahawks, who moved into the top spot in the NFC thanks to their blowout win against the Arizona Cardinals.
If the Eagles win tonight, they’ll move back into first place because they’d hold the tiebreaker against the Seahawks with a better conference record.
NFC standings
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NFC East standings
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Next week is the Eagles’ bye, and when the Birds come back they’ll play five straight national games — three in prime time, one in the late afternoon window on Fox, and one on Black Friday.
They won’t have another 1 p.m. kickoff until Week 15, when they host the Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) at the Linc on Dec. 14. That could also be their last, with two games against the Washington Commanders (3-4) yet to be scheduled.
In Week 16, the Birds will play the Commanders on Saturday, Dec. 20, which will be either a 4:30 p.m. or an 8 p.m. kickoff. They’ll also face the Commanders in Week 18, a game that could be elevated to late afternoon or even prime time, depending on what’s at stake.
So why did the NFL lump the Eagles’ two Commanders games into a three-week span at the end of the season? Onnie Bose, the NFL’s vice president of broadcasting (and a Lower Merion High School grad), said the league tries to schedule as many divisional games late in the season as possible, and it just rolled out this way for the Eagles.
“Division games late in the season matter,” Bose told The Inquirer in May. “Playing a team in the division twice in three weeks might feel like a lot, but it does happen.”
The remaining schedule also means it’s not likely you’ll see the Eagles flexed into Sunday Night Football or Monday Night Football this season, unless the Raiders somehow become a compelling story over the next eight weeks.
Tom Brady is back to call his third Eagles game. It won’t be his last.
Tom Brady ahead of the Eagles’ Week 4 game against the Buccaneers on Sept. 28.
Eagles fans will hear a familiar voice Sunday.
Super Bowl LII loser Tom Brady will be in the booth for Fox, calling his third Birds game this season. If that seems like a lot, that’s because it is — last year Brady called just two Eagles games during the regular season (though he added three playoff games, including the Super Bowl).
And it won’t be Brady’s last Birds game — he’s slated to call the Eagles’ Week 12 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 23 and Philly’s trip to Buffalo to face the Bills in Week 17 on Dec. 28.
Joining Brady will be play-by-play partner Kevin Burkhardt, who is also hosting Fox’s pre- and postgame World Series coverage. Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi will report from the Linc.
The last time Fox’s No. 1 crew called at least five Eagles games in one regular season was back in 2014, when Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were still at the network.
Traditionally, Fox broadcast NFC games and interconference games where the NFC team was on the road. In 2023, the league loosened up those restrictions, but Fox is still guaranteed a certain number of Eagles games every season (including at least one Birds game against each divisional opponent).
How to stream Eagles-Giants
Eagles-Giants will stream on Fox One, Fox’s new subscription streaming service. It will also stream on the Fox Sports app, though you need to log in with your cable provider.
If you’re looking to stream the game for free and you live in or around Philadelphia, your best option is to use a digital antenna, since the game will air on broadcast television on Fox 29.
Eagles-Giants will also air on the radio on 94.1 WIP, with Merrill Reese and former Eagles receiver Mike Quick on the call. WIP host Devan Kaney will report from the sidelines.
Rickie Ricardo, Oscar Budejen, and Dave Gerhardt will call the game in Spanish on La Mega 105.7 FM in Philadelphia, 93.9 FM in Atlantic City, and 103.3 FM in Vineland/Millville.
Both radio broadcasts can be streamed from anywhere on the Eagles’ website, while fans in Philly can also stream them on the Eagles app.
Eagles look to remain undefeated in kelly green
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts warms up next to the Kelly green logo before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023.
When the Birds take the field Sunday afternoon, they’ll be decked out in their throwback kelly green uniforms.
It’s the first of three games in which the Eagles will wear their classic, fan-favorite jerseys, which they’ll also don in Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys and Week 18 against the Washington Commanders.
Despite that, the classic jerseys have been good luck for the current Eagles squad. Since bringing them back in 2023, the Birds are 4-0 while wearing kelly green.
The Eagles were technically wearing kelly green throwbacks during a 2010 loss to the Green Bay Packers, but those were replicas of the Birds’ 1960-era jerseys.
Eagles will remain in first place through the bye
Nick Sirianni has the third-best coaching record (53-22, 0.707 pct.) in the Super Bowl era (minimum 50 games).
NFC East standings
The Eagles enter Week 8 atop the NFC East and will remain there through next week’s bye, regardless of what happens Sunday against the Giants.
If the Eagles lose and the Cowboys defeat the Denver Broncos, the Birds will still have a higher winning percentage. Even if they had the same record, the Eagles defeated the Cowboys in Week 1, so the Birds hold the tiebreaker. They’ll play again in Dallas in Week 12 on Nov. 23.
The Commanders are two games back of the Eagles, so win or lose against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, there’s no way for Washington to overtake the Birds anytime soon.
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NFC standings
It’s crowded at the top of the NFC.
Thanks to their tie against the Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers currently sit in first place because of their higher winning percentage.
The Eagles are one of six teams with a 5-2 record heading into Week 8, but they find themselves in third place behind the 49ers because San Francisco has a better conference record (5-1 vs. 4-1).
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Other NFL Week 8 games on TV in Philly
Aaron Rodgers will face the Packers for the first time since being traded away in 2023.
The stars of the night were Tyrese Maxey and first-round pick VJ Edgecombe, who scored 34 points, the third-best debut for a rookie in NBA history.
Barkley used Edgecombe’s eye-opening debut to jokingly take a shot at his college coach, Baylor’s Scott Drew. In reality, the two are close, and Barkley played with Drew’s brother, Bryce Drew, with the Houston Rockets.
“Scott Drew can’t coach. He’s been holding this kid back,” Barkley joked.
“I was asked a thousand times this summer about the Sixers. I said I can’t give a fair prediction,” Barkley said. “As much as I love Edgecombe and Maxey, if Embiid and Paul George can’t play, [the Sixers] are not a contender.”
“He only gave your four points,” Shaq added.
So yeah, while Barkley, Shaq, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith have jumped from TNT to ESPN, nothing changed about the chemistry of Inside the NBA, one of the most beloved sports shows in TV history.
Who else would ESPN let compare new Wizards guard CJ McCollum to convicted felon and former New York U.S. Rep. George Santos, who was released from prison by President Donald Trump?
“Man, I don’t know what CJ McCollum did to someone” to end up on the Wizards, Barkley said. “We freed George Santos, let’s free CJ McCollum.”
The foursome, now in their 15th season working together, mocked their new home relentlessly, joking that Barkley will appear on every ESPN show, from Get Up to First Take to NFL Live.
“One thing I’m not going to be is Stephen A. Smith — everywhere,” Barkley said.
Much later in the evening — ESPN let Inside the NBA roll past 1 a.m. Philly time — Johnson quizzed Barkley on which networks a handful of NBA personalities worked for. Barkley got two right, but missed on TNT colleague Allie LaForce.
And for those keeping score, Barkley picked the New York Knicks to win the Eastern Conference, a prediction that will likely change at least seven times before the end of the season.
TNT had broadcast NBA games since 1989, but the NBA rejected the network’s offer in favor of new 11-year deals NBC and Amazon. Despite that, the show is still produced by TNT out of their Atlanta studio. It’s just the name on front of the desk that’s ultimately different.
Barkley and company will be back on the network tonight for another doubleheader: Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers at 7:30 p.m. Philly time, followed by Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors at 10 p.m.
“Ernie, that’s today!” Barkley said shortly after midnight.
Once the NFL season is over, Amazon will stream NBA games on Prime Video Thursday nights. Until then, the evening is wide-open, allowing ESPN to swoop in to broadcast two national games tonight.
After that, Inside the NBA will have a light schedule on ESPN until the end of the year, though they’ll appear more frequently during the second half of the season.
Here’s when Inside the NBA will appear on ESPN though the end of December:
Thursday, Oct. 23: ESPN
Wednesday, Oct. 29: ESPN
Wednesday, Nov. 12: ESPN
Thursday Dec. 25: ESPN and ABC
Mark Sanchez still recovering from stabbing as trial date set
Mark Sanchez has called NFL games for Fox since 2021.
Mark Sanchez won’t be returning to a broadcast booth anytime soon.
The Fox Sports announcer and former Eagles quarterback is scheduled to go on trial next month to face accusations he attacked and injured a delivery driver in Indianapolis Oct. 4 ahead of calling an NFL game.
Sanchez, 38, was also seriously injured in the assault, and his recovery could force a delay in the trial, which is scheduled to begin Dec. 11.
Sanchez is accused of drunkenly assaulting a delivery driver in a fight stemming from an argument over a parking space. Police said the driver, Perry Tole, 69, pepper sprayed Sanchez, then pulled out a knife and stabbed him multiple times in self-defense.
“We are literally talking about people fighting over a parking space and-or a dispute about where people are parking, and it resulted in someone receiving just incredibly significant injures,” Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears told reporters a few days after the incident.
In a lawsuit filed against both Sanchez and Fox Sports, Tole claimed the fight left him with “severe permanent disfigurement, loss of function” and other injuries.
Fox Sports has declined any further comment on the incident beyond a brief statement issued in the immediate aftermath of the fight: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, and we ask that everyone please respect his and his family’s privacy during this time.”
Quick hits
Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe impressed the Celtics’ announcers.
Barkley and Shaq weren’t the only ones impressed by Edgecombe’s debut — announcers on NBC Sports Boston were amazed by his first-quarter jam:
Amazon announced the Eagles’ Black Friday matchup against the Chicago Bears on Nov. 28 will stream for free on its Prime Video platform, welcome news for Birds fans that live around the world (unless you live in Canada, where it will remain behind the paywall). The game will air for free in the Philadelphia TV market on Fox 29.
Tom Brady is back to broadcast his third Eagles game of the season Sunday, when the Birds take on the New York Giants at 1 p.m. on Fox. It won’t be his last — Brady is slated to call the Eagles Week 12 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys and the Birds Week 17 trip to Buffalo to play the Bills.
Say goodbye to ESPN’s Monday Night Football doubleheaders. NFL owners approved the league’s deal to sell the NFL Network to Disney Wednesday. As a result, the four extra games slotted to ESPN will return to the NFL, according to Sports Business Journal’s Ben Fischer.
NBC managed to do the unthinkable — making a regular-season NBA game feel big.
Broadcasting their its NBA game in 23 years, NBC made the league’s season opener between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets feel like a playoff game. The crowd was loud, the camera work and graphics were crisp, and enough can’t be written about John Tesh’s “Roundball Rock.”
The opening was just about perfect, balancing nostalgia for the NBA of the 1990s with current stars like LeBron James and Joel Embiid, who had “no idea” when asked about his memories of the league during that era. (Embiid was 2 years old when Jordan won his fourth NBA championship in 1996.)
“TNT — as good as it was, as comfortable as it was — never made Opening Night feel as much as an event as tonight,” wrote Sports Media Watch’s Jon Lewis, adding “the moments leading up to tipoff felt bigger than during the Finals last year. And that’s not me taking shots at ESPN, it’s just kind of obvious to me.”
Then there’s Mike Tirico, who has developed into an announcer whose voice makes a game feel bigger.
Other than practice games with the Sixers and Boston Celtics last season, it was Tirico’s first time calling a national basketball game since 2016. You would have never known it — Tirico knew the rules and was on top of every call. Officials missed Kevin Durant’s call for a timeout when the Houston Rockets had none during the closing seconds of overtime, but Tirico was all over it.
Tirico was part of an entertaining three-person crew alongside Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford, which is likely a preview of how NBC will handle this season’s Western Conference Finals.
“We don’t really have a lead crew,” NBC Sports president Rick Cordella said on a recent episode of the Sports Media Watch Podcast. “Jamal and Reggie are equals, and so you’ll see us going two-man crews and three-man crews at different times. And then we’ll see how the season goes.”
There were also nice touches during the broadcast, like NBC’s scorebug showing an animated hand after three pointers and shaking following a slam dunk.
The question is whether it will all be enough. NBC is reportedly paying $2.5 billion a year over the next 11 years for its NBA package, and the Wall Street Journal reported parent-company Comcast is projecting losses between $500 million and $1.4 billion during the first few years of the deal.
“It’s a long-term deal. We’re not trying to measure this based on quarters but the next 10 years,” Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCU’s media group, told the Wall Street Journal.
Hopefully we’ll get more from Michael Jordan
The idea of Michael Jordan, NBA pundit is interesting. After all, who wouldn’t want arguably the greatest player in the history of the game dishing on the league’s current players and situations?
Viewers, apparently. Jordan appeared via a pretaped segment for three minutes during halftime, where he told a nice story about the last time he shot a basketball and not much else.
“I wish I could take a magic pill, put on shorts, and go out and play the game of basketball today,” Jordan said.
“We have an obligation to pay it forward. That’s part of what this is all about.”
Watch Michael Jordan’s first conversation with Mike Tirico in the first edition of MJ: Insights To Excellence. pic.twitter.com/7tfzGm6SpM
Is it an improvement over quick-hit segments where studio analysts hurry through banal comments so networks can squeeze in as many sports gambling ads as possible? Yes, but that’s a pretty low bar to clear.
The good news is NBC plans to air more segments featuring Jordan’s interview with Tirico in the weeks to come. NBC said he’ll be back next Tuesday to discuss load management, a subject Jordan — who played 82 games nine times in his career — has strong views about.
Beyond that, it’s unclear how often Jordan, promoted as a special contributor, will appear on NBC this season.
NBC should ditch their AI deepfake of Jim Fagan
Older NBA fans probably felt something was off with Jim Fagan’s voice during the opening of Tuesday night’s broadcast.
That’s because the longtime NBA on NBC narrator died eight years ago.
NBC got permission from Fagan’s family to create a deepfake version of Fagin’s voice to intro games and provide promos for upcoming NBA games, as well as on other sports airing across NBC.
The AI-generated voice of Jim Fagan is back, proclaiming Liverpool-Manchester United as "one of the fiercest rivalries in all of English football": pic.twitter.com/dwi6KZA8l0
It isn’t the first time NBC has leaned into using artificial intelligence. During last year’s Olympics, NBC used a deepfake version of veteran announcer Al Michaels for personalized recaps on Peacock. But Michaels, who currently handles play-by-play on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football, is still alive.
Pregame show marred by glitches
As for NBC’s pregame show, it was largely forgettable. Despite featuring three NBA hall of famers — Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady — nothing memorable was said.
In fact, the most notable part was the technical issues that plagued the first few minutes, including some audio issues and a couple of bad microphones. At one point, host Maria Taylor slammed her microphone down on the desk after McGrady asked her to repeat a question, causing static to overrun the broadcast for a few seconds.
“Hey, this is the first night, so it’s not going to be perfect NBC family, but we’re going to get it right,” McGrady said.
NBC comes on the air for an NBA broadcast for the first time in 23 years… and it's marred by audio issues 😬 pic.twitter.com/5Z1Wc9uVIb
While the pregame show lacked much interest or excitement, at least NBC decided to take the high road and avoided sideshow antics involving shouting pundits and LeBron James vs. the world debates.
The Sixers are scheduled to appear exclusively on NBC five times, beginning with their Nov. 11 matchup against the Boston Celtics at the newly named Xfinity Mobile Arena. They’ll also play exclusively on Peacock on Jan. 5 against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
Here’s when fans will see the Sixers on NBC and Peacock:
Nov. 11: Celtics at Sixers, 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Nov. 25: Magic at Sixers, 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Dec. 30: Sixers at Grizzlies, 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
Charles Barkley on ESPN! Sixers games on Amazon! Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!
The NBA season tips off Tuesday, and with it begins new TV rights deals with NBC, ESPN, and Amazon that will reshape coverage of the league for the next decade plus.
There’s been a lot of handwringing over the NBA’s new national schedule, with exclusive games being broadcast nationally every night on different channels and streaming platforms. It’s quite a change, considering TNT had been broadcasting national games on Thursday nights for 36 years.
Despite the shuffling, not much will change for Sixers fans. Sixty nine of the team’s 82 games will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia (seven on NBC Sports Philadelphia+), with Kate Scott and Alaa Abdelnaby back to call all the action.
Abdelnaby, the former Duke standout and NBA player, is entering his 10th season calling Sixers games (and his fifth alongside Scott). He was hired in the middle of “The Process,” but despite the Sixers losing 72 games during his first season, last season was his most difficult as a broadcaster.
“Even though it wasn’t written in stone, we knew what they were doing” when the Sixers were intentionally losing games to gain assets, Abdelnaby told The Inquirer. “Last year, that wasn’t the case. They weren’t trying to do anything Process-ish … We kind of went through a whole season of not being relevant. And that stinks.”
Joel Embiid’s health will be the big question mark for the Sixers this season.
Abdelnaby has high hopes for this season, pinned on a potentially new role for Joel Embiid following his second knee surgery in 14 months. Embiid played 19 minutes in the Sixers’ final preseason game on Friday, telling reporters he was “in a good space” mentally and physically, though his status for the season opener against the Boston Celtics Wednesday remains uncertain.
Being around them for two games and at practice, Abdelnaby said the mood among the Sixers seemed more positive then the second half of last season. By his eye, the body language of the players and coaches point in the right direction.
“I think health has a lot to do with that,” Abdelnaby said. “At least I’m feeling a sense of optimism from the group, and that’s a good thing.”
The new NBA media deals have opened up broadcasting opportunities dramatically, with national games airing just about every night. While Abdelnaby used to call college basketball games for CBS Sports, he’s in no rush to return to a jet-setting lifestyle.
“When I did college, it was a rough and tumble existence,” Abdelnaby said. ” I think I’ve gotten soft over the last 10 years, because now I fly on their plane, I don’t have to rent a car in the middle of nowhere and return it … I am so spoiled.”
As far as NBC Sports Philadelphia’s studio goes, Amy Fadool, Marc Jackson, and former Sixers head coach Jim Lynam return for Sixers pre- and postgame coverage.
Sixers games can also be heard on 97.5 The Fanatic, with Tom McGinnis returning for his 31st season calling games.
New NBA weekly national schedule
While the bulk of the Sixers’ regular-season games will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia, 13 games will air nationally across a host of services.
Here’s a general breakdown of the NBA’s national broadcast and streaming schedule this season:
Sunday: NBC/Peacock and ABC/ESPN (beginning midseason)
Monday: Peacock
Tuesday: NBC/Peacock
Wednesday: ESPN
Thursday: Prime Video (beginning midseason)
Friday: Prime Video and ESPN (beginning midseason)
Saturday: Prime Video and ABC/ESPN (beginning midseason)
After 23 years, NBA returns to NBC
Hall of Famer Michael Jordan will make his NBC debut Tuesday night.
Michael Jordan is making the leap to NBA pundit (sort-of) as NBC airs games for the first time since the 2002 season.
Jordan won’t make his debut Tuesday as a studio analyst. Instead, he’ll appear via a prerecorded interview with Mike Tirico during NBC’s debut. The network hasn’t said how frequently Jordan will contribute, but those taped segments are expected to be scattered throughout the season.
NBC will start the season broadcasting a Tuesday doubleheader, with the East Coast and West Coast getting different prime-time games during most weeks (both will stream live on Peacock).
NBC will also debut Sunday Night Basketball beginning Feb. 1, after the end of the NFL season. The network’s NBA coverage will pause after that for the first two weeks in February for the 2026 Olympics in Milan, Italy.
After practicing with the Sixers and a few other teams last season, Tirico said he’ll call the first couple of Tuesday night games for NBC before focusing on his NFL duties through the playoffs. He’ll also has his duties as the host of the Olympics to contend with.
The Sixers are scheduled to appear on NBC four times, beginning with their Nov. 11 matchup against the Boston Celtics at the newly-named Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Play-by-play voices: Mike Tirico, Noah Eagle, Terry Gannon, Michael Grady
Game analysts: Reggie Miller, Grant Hill, Jamal Crawford, Brad Daugherty, Derek Fisher, Austin Rivers, Brian Scalabrine, Robbie Hummel
Studio analysts: Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady
Sixers fans will also need Peacock and Amazon’s Prime Video
NBA games will stream on Peacock Monday and Tuesday nights.
The streaming wars have finally come for NBA fans.
With TNT out of the picture, Sixers completists will need to sign up for two streaming services to watch all of Philly’s 82 games.
The first is Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service, which is slated to stream 40 exclusive NBA games, as well as every game airing on NBC.
As of now, Peacock is scheduled to exclusively stream just one Sixers game — a matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 5.
Amazon’s Prime Video will stream NBA games two nights a week after the NFL season ends.
The second streaming service Sixers fans will need is Amazon Prime Video, which will stream 66 regular-season NBA games, including a bulk of the Emirates NBA cup and a new Black Friday game.
The Sixers are scheduled to play in four games on Prime Video, beginning with their Halloween night matchup against the Celtics in Philly.
If you’re an NBA League Pass subscriber, one cool feature on Prime Video is the ability to make your own multiview featuring up to four live NBA games.
Prime Video comes with Amazon Prime, but you can also subscribe to it directly for $9 a month.
One familiar face will be Sixers veteran Kyle Lowry, who is slated to make “select appearances” on Amazon’s NBA coverage this season. Amazon’s studio show, which will feature Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki, could be a fun watch.
Charles Barkley and the ‘Inside the NBA’ crew heading to ESPN
Hall of Famer and former Sixers star Charles Barkley will be seen on ESPN this season.
TNT lost the NBA but is keeping its studio show. It’s just going to air on another network.
Inside the NBA, the beloved studio show featuring Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, is jumping to ESPN while still being produced by TNT Sports. They’ll make their debut Wednesday at 6 p.m. as part of ESPN’s season-opening doubleheader.
ESPN has said there would be no changes to the show, beyond a lopsided schedule. Barkley and company are only scheduled appear three more times before Christmas — Thursday, Oct. 29, and Nov. 12.
“We always go to 2 in the morning. They said they’re going to give us time,” Barkley said in a recent interview with NBA columnist Steve Bulpett. “We were concerned they’re going to be like, ‘No, you gotta go to SportsCenter or you’ve got to leave when we’re on ABC and go to the local affiliates.’ That’s the only two things we were concerned with.”
The only remaining TV partner from last season, ESPN will mostly air NBA games on Wednesday nights, with some other nights and holidays thrown into the mix. They’ll also add Friday night games beginning Jan. 16, with most airing on ABC.
This time, Doris Burke is out, replaced by longtime ESPN analyst and former La Salle standout Tim Legler, who will join Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson. Burke will still call NBA games alongside Dave Pasch.
