ABC and ESPN Announce Commentator Teams for the XFL’s 2020 Season

ABC and ESPN Announce Commentator Teams for the XFL’s 2020 Season

ABC AND ESPN COMMENTATORS FOR INAUGURAL 2020 SEASON

BIOGRAPHIES

Steve Levy joined ESPN in 1993 and is one of ESPN’s most-tenured “SportsCenter” anchors. He has been one of ESPN/ABC’s top play-by-play voices for college football since 2016, and he called his first Monday Night game in 2019. Levy has also called NHL and other hockey events, including the World Cup, throughout his career.

Greg McElroy joined ESPN in 2014 as a college football analyst for SEC Network. He calls college football games on ESPN/ABC and contributes to SEC Network studio shows, including the football-themed “Thinking Out Loud”which he co-hosts. A four-year Alabama quarterback, McElroy led the Crimson Tide to the 2010 BCS National Championship. He also played three NFL seasons.

Tom Luginbill joined Scouts Inc. in 2002 and was promoted to national recruiting director when the company was purchased by ESPN. In addition to providing in-depth recruiting analysis of top collegiate football prospects, he is a sideline analyst for college football games on ESPN/ABC. Luginbill was director of player personnel and QB coach for the Los Angeles Xtreme, which won the championship in the original XFL’s only season in 2001.

Dianna Russini joined ESPN in 2015 and is an NFL Insider/reporter and host. She appears regularly on ESPN’s NFL shows “SportsCenter,” “Get Up” and more. The sideline reporter for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” double-header game in Oakland in September 2019, Russini also appears on a variety of ESPN digital shows.

Tom Hart joined ESPN/SEC Network in 2017 and is the voice of SEC Saturday Night college football games. He also calls college basketball and college baseball across ESPN networks.

Joey Galloway joined ESPN in 2011 and is a college football analyst. He currently works in-studio and has also called college football games. One of Ohio State’s all-time receiving leaders, Galloway was a first-round pick who played 16 NFL seasons.

Pat McAfee joined ESPN in 2019 as a college football analyst and contributor. He calls ESPN Thursday night college football games and regularly appears on “Get Up.” A standout college punter/kicker who played eight NFL seasons. McAfee also works for Westwood One and DAZN.

XFL to Air on ABC, ESPN, FOX Sports and FS1

XFL to Air on ABC, ESPN, FOX Sports and FS1
Look for FOX to carry a pair of primetime broadcasts on Thursday, April 2 and 9.

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[via press release from XFL] XFL to Air on ABC, ESPN, FOX Sports and FS1

image: http://thefutoncritic.com/images/shows/xfl20190506.jpg
STAMFORD, Conn. -- The XFL today announced multi-year agreements with ESPN and FOX Sports to televise XFL games starting with its inaugural 2020 season. XFL games will air weekly on broadcast TV (ABC and FOX) complemented by games on cable (ESPN, ESPN2, FS1 and FS2). The XFL TV schedule allows for consistent appointment viewing each week with back-to-back games starting Saturday afternoons at 2 pm ET as well as two additional games on Sunday afternoons.
"We look forward to showcasing the XFL on ESPN and ABC, including the kickoff game and championship during the league's inaugural season," said Burke Magnus, ESPN Executive Vice President, Programming and Scheduling. "Vince McMahon and Oliver Luck are two of the sports industry's most creative and experienced leaders, and they have exciting plans for this league. We believe in their vision for the XFL, which will be a great addition to our year-round commitment to football."

"We welcome the XFL to the FOX Sports Family and are pleased to expand our relationship with Vince McMahon," said Eric Shanks, FOX Sports CEO & Executive Producer. "Football is in FOX Sports' DNA and a key component of our programming strategy. Alongside Oliver Luck and his incredible team, we're excited for the debut of the XFL on FOX Sports."

"We are thrilled to partner with ESPN and FOX Sports, two innovative media companies with extensive experience in world-class football production that will undoubtedly help us reimagine football," said Vince McMahon, XFL Founder & Chairman. "The XFL broadcast schedule provides us with incredible reach and makes it easy for fans to watch our games consistently every weekend."
The agreements were negotiated by CAA Sports and Evolution Media Capital (EMC) on behalf of the XFL.

The XFL will kick off on Saturday, February 8, 2020 with teams in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Washington D.C. Additional XFL-themed programming and on-air talent will be announced in the future.

About ESPN
ESPN, the world's leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets - eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing FOX Corporation's wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports' digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Additionally, FOX Sports and social broadcasting platform, Caffeine jointly own Caffeine Studios which creates exclusive eSports, sports and live entertainment content. Also included in FOX Sports' portfolio are FOX's interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.

About the XFL
The XFL will reimagine football for the 21st century when it kicks off the weekend of February 8-9, 2020, committed to delivering a brisk, fast-paced game, with a fan-centric, innovative, and affordable gameday experience. The inaugural season will launch with teams in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Washington D.C. Each team will compete with a 45-man active roster over a 10-week regular season with a postseason consisting of two semifinal playoff games and a championship game. Vince McMahon, XFL Founder and Chairman, is personally funding the new league, and building the XFL with the same commitment and resolve that he has demonstrated building WWE into a global media and sports entertainment powerhouse. For more information, visit XFL.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.