Maria Taylor, who spent close to a decade on the air at ABC/ESPN, has joined NBC Sports. She starts on the Olympics in Tokyo, joining Mike Tirico as host for Prime Plus. She’ll also be a correspondent at the Olympics.
Taylor will be on Football Night in America and work the Super Bowl for NBC.
“Maria has excelled in a wide range of roles at marquee events, and will be a powerful addition to our team. We are always looking to improve, and Maria is going to make us better. We are very excited for her to join us right away in Tokyo,” said Pete Bevacqua, chairman, NBC Sports.
Taylor hosted NBA Countdown’s pre-game and halftime shows on ESPN. She was caught in a controversy when ESPN host Rachel Nichols was recorded in 2020 saying Taylor was chosen as NBA Countdown host to improve ESPN's "crappy" record on diversity.
Taylor and ESPN failed to agree on a contract extension this past week, and she departed.
"Literally, hosting the Olympics, Football Night in America, and the Super Bowl is what I dreamed of when I started in television," said Taylor, "and this would not be possible without standing on the shoulders of all of those who came before me and made this path possible. And I plan to pay it forward."
