Menu
Media

How the one that got away returned to ESPN

ESPN used “The Jump” to lure Nichols back to ESPN in 2016.espn images

As happy as she is presiding over “The Jump,” Rachel Nichols says she expected to stay much longer at CNN and Turner Sports than her three-year tenure that ended in 2016.

She hosted a 30-minute interview show, “Unguarded,” on CNN and reported on sports topics and trends. For sister company Turner Sports, she was a sideline reporter for TNT’s NBA game broadcasts and was part of TNT and TBS March Madness coverage.

“It kind of added a dimension to my game, I guess you could say,” Nichols said. “Being on the game broadcast is a different thing and having that long-interview format with the CNN show is a different thing. Another part of my job for those three years was going on the different CNN programming and giving depth to sports events that would happen for the non-sports fan — that’s good reps too because it kind of hones your ability to say, OK, what is this story really about?”

Prior to moving to CNN and Turner in 2013, Nichols worked for ESPN as a reporter and correspondent on “SportsCenter” and other prominent shows. John Skipper, then president of ESPN, had wooed Nichols to the network in 2004.

“I thought we made a mistake letting Rachel get away because she was a good reporter and a good colleague,” said Skipper, now executive chairman of Perform Group, a U.K.-based company that owns sports streaming site DAZN. “One of the things she was quite anxious to do was to be more involved with the NBA.”

Her return to ESPN in 2016 started when Connor Schell, now ESPN’s executive vice president of content, and Skipper were discussing the network’s NBA coverage. Nichols’ name surfaced as a possibility for a new studio show.

“We started talking about her coming back and put an offer on the table and put her on ‘The Jump,’ which remains an interesting and fun, provocative show,” Skipper said. “She knows the league and she’s a great reporter and journalist and storyteller.”

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2019/03/18/Media/Nichols-ESPN.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2019/03/18/Media/Nichols-ESPN.aspx

CLOSE