FOX, ESPN/ABC Set to Announce Broadcast Teams for 2024 UFL Season
The United Football League's two TV partners, FOX and Disney, are days away from rolling out their broadcast teams for the upcoming 2024 season, according to league sources.
The UFL season starts March 30 and culminates with the championship game on June 16. ABC/ESPN will have commentators for the UFL 2024 season announced towards the end of this week. FOX hopes to reveal its broadcast talent by the end of this week or early next week.
Of the 43 games to be played this season, 72% will air on broadcast television (ABC or FOX). ABC will air 10 games, with 21 for Fox. On cable, ESPN will have 10 broadcasts, with FS1 and ESPN2 airing a game each.
The marriage of ABC and FOX teaming up to air the newly merged USFL-XFL league's games is similar to one the two network powerhouses shared when they aired XFL games in 2020.
Spring pro football leagues of the modern era have developed a reputation for helping advance the careers of players, coaches, referees, football and team personnel. But it also serves as a proving ground for broadcasters.
Four years ago, the pairing of Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen was one of the highlights of XFL FOX coverage. That duo has become one of the top broadcasting tandems in all sports. Olsen, who at the time was still debating whether he would continue playing in the NFL, proved to be a natural.
The growth and development of emerging broadcasters not only comes in the booth, but on the sidelines as well. NFL reporter Diana Russini was also a standout in 2020 on the sidelines for ABC/ESPN.
Expected back-to-call games for the USFL-XFL league are Joel Klatt (FOX) and Tom Luginbill (ABC/ESPN) — two of the most respected analysts and advocates of spring pro football.
But the interest will be to see who FOX and ABC pegs as new additions to the spring pro football landscape.
UFL To Unveil Uniform Updates Next Week
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Mike Mitchell is a pro football writer/insider with decades of experience covering and following multiple leagues. He covers the New York Jets for TheJetPress.com at FanSided. He has also written for XFL Board and at Hub Publishing covering the CFL, XFL and USFL.