MLB on FOX: On Deck | Alec Bohm and the Philadelphia Phillies look to resolve their second half struggles versus Michael Harris II and the Atlanta Braves in a pivotal NL East matchup on "Baseball Night in America" | Saturday, August 31 at 7:00 PM (ET) on FOX

Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (#23) smiles during a Braves game. (USA Today)

Monday, August 26, 2024

• The month of August ends on FOX with two divisional rivalries on "Baseball Night in America" on Saturday, August 31 at 7:00 PM (ET): Braves at Phillies or Brewers at Reds.

• Trea Turner and the National League East leading Philadelphia Phillies welcome in Matt Olson and the Atlanta Braves for a pivotal series at Citizens Bank Park, with both sides hoping to play some October baseball (Saturday, August 31 at 7:00 PM ET on FOX).

• Brice Turang and the Milwaukee Brewers hit the road to face the electric young star Elly De La Cruz and the Cincinnati Reds in a National League Central rivalry at Great American Ball Park. The Brewers have the NL Central on lockdown, while the Reds look to stay in a race for an improbable National League Wild Card spot (Saturday, August 31 at 7:00 PM ET on FOX).

We are now in the final month of the 2024 regular season. FOX will provide coverage of two very vital matchups in regards to the postseason picture this Saturday, August 31, during "Baseball Night in America", beginning at 7:00 PM (ET). More information about Saturday's coverage on FOX can be found below. As a side note, if you like division rivalries, then this is the weekend for you.

At 7:00 PM (ET) on Saturday night, FOX Sports goes inside the National League East to bring viewers a rivalry that has plenty of postseason implications attached to it. Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies host Orlando Arcia and the Atlanta Braves in the third game of a four-game weekend series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Obviously, this series holds massive postseason implications for both clubs, so winning this series is vital for both sides. 🎙 Play-by-play commentator Brandon Gaudin (who also serves as the Braves' lead play-by-play commentator) is on the call with analyst and Hall of Famer John Smoltz, with Ken Rosenthal reporting from the field. 

At 7:00 PM (ET) on Saturday night, select viewers across the country will sit in on a National League Central rivalry game from Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, as Willy Adames and the Milwaukee Brewers visit Elly De La Cruz and the Cincinnati Reds. The Brewers look to extend their commanding division lead while the Reds look to remain alive in the Wild Card race. 🎙 Play-by-play commentator Don Orsillo and analyst and 2005 World Series champion AJ Pierzynski will provide commentary.

|| Links 🖇 to 2024 MLB on FOX schedule and 506 Sports maps:

• 2024 MLB on FOX Schedule (national schedule): https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2024/01/2024-mlb-on-fox-schedule.html

• 506 Sports Maps (distribution): https://506sports.com/mlb.php?yr=2024&wk=20

This week's MLB on FOX announcer assignments and distribution splits is displayed for viewing purposes below. (Subject to Change)

• MLB on FOX: "Baseball Night in America" Regional Coverage - Saturday, August 31, 2024 (Subject to Change)

- 7:00 PM ET:

 vs

. Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies (Primary) - Brandon Gaudin, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal

- 88% of Markets Include: Albany, Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, Fort Myers, Fresno, Grand Rapids, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Mobile, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Scranton, Seattle, Spokane, St. Louis, Tampa, Tucson, Tulsa, Washington D.C., West Palm Beach

 vs

. Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds - Don Orsillo, AJ Pierzynski

- 12% of Markets Include: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville, Milwaukee, Minneapolis

- Sources 🛈: SportsLogos.Net (logos), 506 Sports (distribution)

=== ### ===

2024 College Football on FOX Game and Studio Commentators Roster (Announcers)

FOX's "Big Noon Kickoff" pregame show cast for 2024 (from top to bottom): Analyst Brady Quinn, Analyst Mark Ingram II, Host Rob Stone, Sports Wagering Expert Chris "The Bear" Fallica, Analyst Matt Leinart & Analyst Urban Meyer. (FOX Sports Press Pass)

Friday, August 23, 2024

• Iconic college football names Mark Ingram II, Matt Leinart, Urban Meyer, Brady Quinn join host Rob Stone for another season of "Big Noon Kickoff".

• The respected and highly renowned commentating team of Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt & Jenny Taft will once again serve as the lead broadcasting voices for "Big Noon Saturday"; in addition to Johnson, Klatt & Taft, an entire roster of seasoned play-by-play commentators and experienced analysts join to provide additional staffing for FOX's 2024 college football coverage.

With the 2024-25 college football season just about here, FOX Sports has decided to disclose their complete 2024 on-air lineup for their college football coverage.

Each Saturday morning, a college football viewer will see FOX Sports show up on-site at a specific college campus in this wonderful country for a two-hour pregame show called "Big Noon Kickoff" at 10:00 AM (ET). This is immediately followed by Big Noon Saturday at 12:00 PM (ET) on FOX, the top college football game window for three straight campaigns entering the 2024 season.

A new addition to FOX's extensive and comprehensive college football slate is FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL FRIDAY, a Friday night package featuring top-tier and elite matchups from the Mountain West, Big Ten and Big 12 conferences.

Big Noon Kickoff:

This year, the "Big Noon Kickoff" pregame show is back with a robust lineup of talent featuring legendary people that shaped college football to where it is today - Matt Leinart, Mark Ingram II, Urban Meyer and Brady Quinn - working alongside veteran studio host Rob Stone. Each week, the group will hit the road to provide pregame coverage from a specific location. On Saturday, August 31, "Big Noon Kickoff" makes their 2024 debut via their first-ever visit to Morgantown, West Virginia to set the table for the Penn State-West Virginia game on FOX, starting at 10:00 AM (ET).

Sports wagering expert Chris "The Bear" Fallica (best known for his role on ESPN's "College Gameday" for many years) once again uses his professional experience to enhance the program. Lead NFL on FOX reporter Tom Rinaldi contributes long-form interviews and special, eye-popping features throughout the season while insider Bruce Feldman talks about the latest college football news, in addition to keeping viewers up-to-date.

2024 Game Day Broadcasters:

Johnson | Klatt || Taft:

Game action launches each week on Saturday afternoons at 12:00 PM (ET) on FOX with the "Big Noon Saturday" game of the week. Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft embark their eighth consecutive season as FOX Sports' lead college football announcer team. They will get going for the 2024 season on Saturday, August 31, with the first "Big Noon Saturday" game of the season as Penn State visits West Virginia at 12:00 PM (ET) on FOX in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Benetti | Huard || Williams:

For the third straight year, skilled and accomplished play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti, former NFL signalcaller Brock Huard and reporter Allison Williams come together as a broadcasting team. Their 2024 schedule of games starts on Thursday, August 29 in Minneapolis when North Carolina faces off against Minnesota at 8:00 PM (ET) on FOX. Their Week 1 coverage continues on Saturday, August 31 with UTEP vs. Nebraska from Lincoln, Nebraska at 3:30 PM (ET) on FOX.

Brando | Gardner || Sims:

Longtime FOX Sports play-by-play announcer Tim Brando receives a new partner in the broadcasting booth for 2024. Replacing Brando's longtime friend and colleague Spencer Tillman (who will now work with Eric Collins) is analyst Devin Gardner, a former quarterback for the University of Michigan. Sideline reporter Josh Sims, who worked select CFB games for FOX last year, gets a full-move call up as he will join Brando & Gardner all season long. Their first game is during Week 0 as Montana State pays a visit to Albuquerque, New Mexico to play New Mexico on Saturday, August 24 at 4:00 PM (ET) on FS1. The trio is then booking a trip to America's Dairyland - the state of Wisconsin - as Wisconsin welcomes in Western Michigan for Week 1 action on Friday, August 30 at 9:00 PM (ET) on FS1.

Onion | Helfrich:

A young rising star in the broadcasting industry, play-by-play commentator Connor Onion (who worked his first MLB on FOX game earlier this year) expands his FOX Sports role with a full slate of college football assignments alongside former Oregon head man and Pac-12 champion Mark Helfrich. Their introductory assignment for 2024 is in Week 1, when Connecticut (UConn) squares off against Maryland on Saturday, August 31 at 12:00 PM (ET) on FS1.

Collins | Tillman:

Former Oklahoma standout Spencer Tillman gets a new commentating pair in 2024, as play-by-play commentator and current Charlotte Hornets announcer Eric Collins gets the special honor to work alongside Tillman during games. The duo will pair up for the first time on Saturday, August 31 when North Dakota plays Iowa State in a Week 1 game at 3:30 PM (ET) on FS1.

Faust | Smith:

Multi-sport play-by-play announcer Alex Faust returns to the CFB on FOX roster in 2024, teaming up with former Ohio State star and former Vikings runner Robert Smith. They start the new season with a Week 1 UNLV vs. Houston matchup on Saturday, August 31 at 7:00 PM (ET) on FS1.

Various Play-by-Play Commentators (including Myers, Rush & Hellie) | Papadakis (pxp depends on the week):

Seasoned play-by-play commentator and studio host Chris Myers teams up with former USC football captain Petros Papadakis to call the Week 1 Wyoming vs. Arizona State game on Saturday, August 31 at 10:30 PM (ET) on FS1. In addition to Myers, various other play-by-play commentators will team up with Papadakis this season, including Dan Hellie and Trent Rush.

2024 College Football on FOX Broadcasting Roster (Subject to Change)

- Game Commentators:

1. Gus Johnson/Joel Klatt//Jenny Taft

2. Jason Benetti or Kevin Kugler (Week 5)/Brock Huard//Allison Williams

3. Tim Brando/Devin Gardner//Josh Sims

4. Connor Onion/Mark Helfrich//Josh Sims (Weeks 5, 8, 13) or Allison Williams (Week 6)

5. Eric Collins or Trent Rush (Week 8) or Connor Onion (Weeks 9, 13) or Chris Myers (Week 12)/Spencer Tillman

6. Alex Faust or Eric Collins (Week 8) or Dan Hellie (Week 10) or Chris Myers (Week 13) or Trent Rush (Week 14)/Robert Smith

7. Chris Myers (Week 1) or Dan Hellie (Weeks 3-5, 11-12, 14) or Trent Rush (Weeks 6-7, Week 10, Weeks 12-13)/Petros Papadakis

8. Chris Vosters/Charles Arbuckle or Sed Bonner (Week 14) (Weeks 5, 11 & 14)

9. Guy Haberman/Yogi Roth//Rhett Lewis (Week 8 only) (Weeks 8 & 12)

10. Evan Lepler/Charles Arbuckle (Week 14 only)

. Note: Additional game announcers could be used for certain games during the season, if FOX/FS1 has a certain amount of games.

- Studio Commentators:

• Big Noon Kickoff (pregame, 10:00 AM ET - 12:00 PM ET): Rob Stone, Mark Ingram II, Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn, Chris "The Bear" Fallica (wager analysis), Bruce Feldman (insider) & Tom Rinaldi (reporter/interviews)

• Studio (during game action on FOX/FS1): Mike Hill, Emmanuel Acho & Chris Petersen

For the entire 2024 College Football on FOX schedule, please follow this link 🖇 here.

- Sources 🛈: FOX Sports Press Pass.

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2024 College Football on NBC and Peacock Announcer Teams (Announcers)

NBC Sports play-by-play commentator Noah Eagle and NBC Sports analyst Todd Blackledge pose for a photo with the NBC Sports microphones in their hands before a Penn State college football game. (The New York Times)

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

• Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst) & Kathryn Tappen (reporter) reprise their roles for the second straight season calling Saturday night contests, beginning with National Champion Michigan hosting Fresno State on Saturday, August 31, at 7:30 PM (ET) on NBC and Peacock.

• Dan Hicks (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (analyst) & Zora Stephenson (reporter) to call Notre Dame Football, which opens season against Northern Illinois on Saturday, September 7 at 3:30 PM (ET) on NBC and Peacock.

• Maria Taylor (host), Joshua Perry (analyst), Chris Simms (analyst) & Nicole Auerbach (insider) lead College Countdown pregame programming, with Ahmed Fareed (co-host), Matt Cassel (analyst) & Michael Robinson (analyst) at Saturday night game site.

• Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Colt McCoy (analyst) & Tappen (reporter) call Colorado-Nebraska on Saturday, September 7, live at 7:30 PM (ET) on NBC and Peacock in Primetime. (Regular broadcasters Noah Eagle & Todd Blackledge will be on assignment calling the Packers-Eagles game in Brazil that Friday night for NBC & Peacock).

NBC Sports, which will present more than 30 Big Ten and Notre Dame football matchups this year across NBC and Peacock, including 10 exclusive Peacock games, announced their 2024 College Football announcing roster today.

Big Ten Saturday Night:

The primary NBC/Peacock "Big Ten Saturday Night" crew for 2024 season will once again be play-by-play man Noah Eagle, analyst and former Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge with reporter Kathryn Tappen down the field. Eagle, Blackledge & Tappen will call all primetime games on the NBC/Peacock slate with the exception of September 7 (as Eagle & Blackledge will be on NFL duty that week and will be replaced by Paul Burmeister and Colt McCoy for that particular week only). 

Eagle & Tappen are back at the football stadium following their respective work covering the 2024 Paris Olympics, while Blackledge begins his 31st season working college football games (CBS, ABC/ESPN and NBC). 

The trio will break the seal on the 2024 season during Opening Weekend, Saturday, August 31, as the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines host the Fresno State Bulldogs on NBC and Peacock at 7:30 PM (ET).

Notre Dame Football:

NBC Sports' incredible run as the Notre Dame football home game telecaster continues for the 34th straight time in 2024, with analyst Jason Garrett and reporter Zora Stephenson returning from 2023. However, there is a new play-by-play man as Dan Hicks joins Garrett and Stephenson to broadcast Notre Dame home football games throughout the season. 

For Hicks, it is his return to his previous Notre Dame football assignment, previously calling Fighting Irish games from 2013-16. Garrett, who also serves as a studio analyst for Football Night in America on Sundays, had a 12-year run in the NFL as a quarterback and spent another 16 years as a NFL coach, including a long stint with the Dallas Cowboys. Stephenson is back for her third straight campaign on the Notre Dame sidelines.

Big Ten Football:

Longtime play-by-play announcer Paul Burmeister will call Big Ten football games regularly throughout the year, including the highly anticipated Week 2 Colorado vs. Nebraska game in primetime on Saturday, September 7 on NBC and Peacock. For that broadcast, Burmeister will be joined by Colt McCoy, who recently announced his retirement following a 14-year playing career and is a former University of Texas All-American during his time in Austin, and Kathryn Tappen on the sidelines.

Jac Collinsworth, who was until 2023 calling Notre Dame Football games, will remain in the play-by-play space, but has been re-assigned to call Big Ten Football games instead. Another Big Ten Football play-by-play commentators include Brendan Burke and Andrew Siciliano. Burke and former NFL tight end Kyle Rudolph will call Rhode Island-Minnesota on Saturday, September 7 at 12:00 PM (ET), exclusively on Peacock. Reporter Caroline Pineda is back for her second season covering games.

Big Ten College Countdown:

Host Maria Taylor, analyst Joshua Perry, analyst Chris Simms and insider Nicole Auerbach are slated to return to NBC Sports' college football studio programming in 2024, with Football Night in America's Chris Simms being a new addition to the team this year.

Taylor is the current host Football Night in America on NBC, the most-watched studio program in sports. Perry, a former Ohio State linebacker, helped the team win the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship in 2014 and spent a couple of seasons in the NFL. Simms, an analyst for FNIA, played quarterback at the University of Texas from 1999-2002, and played for eight seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft.

At the game site each week is co-host Ahmed Fareed with analysts Matt Cassel and Michael Robinson.

Cassel, a seventh-round pick out of USC back in 2005, had a 14-year career in the NFL as a quarterback/signalcaller. Robinson, a 2006 fourth-round pick out of Penn State, played for eight seasons in the NFL. In Fareed's case, he serves a host and reporter on a wide array of NBC Sports properties, including the Olympics, horse racing and the Premier League.

|| 2024 College Football on NBC/Peacock Game Broadcasting Teams (Announcers):

. Big Ten Saturday Night: Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, Kathryn Tappen

. Notre Dame Football (home games only): Dan Hicks, Jason Garrett, Zora Stephenson

. Big Ten Football (non-Saturday night games):

- Play-by-Play: Paul Burmeister, Jac Collinsworth, Andrew Siciliano, Brendan Burke

- Analysts: Colt McCoy, Kyle Rudolph, Michael Robinson

- Reporters: Caroline Pineda, Laura Britt

🖇 2024 College Football on NBC Schedule: https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2024/05/2024-college-football-on-nbc-schedule.html

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MLB on FOX: On Deck | Two must-see showdowns in late August are the focus for FOX's special Thursday night edition of "Baseball Night in America" on Thursday, August 22 at 7:00 PM (ET) | Phillies vs. Braves or Astros vs. Orioles

Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (#12) shows a thumbs up during a game. (CBS News)

Monday, August 19, 2024

• FOX's "Baseball Night in America" series moves to Thursday night this week, highlighting two very important games as far as the postseason picture is concerned: Phillies vs. Braves or Astros vs. Orioles (either check your local listings or keep reading for the distribution of cites).

• An National League East matchup is set to occur at Truist Park in Atlanta as Michael Harris II and the Atlanta Braves host Trea Turner and the Philadelphia Phillies in a re-match of each of the last two National League Division Series (the Phillies, of course, would go on win both of these series). (Thursday, August 22 at 7:00 PM ET on FOX)

• Two American League contenders are set to square off at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore as Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros hit the road to face Gunnar Henderson and the Baltimore Orioles. These two teams have postseason aspirations in mind. (Thursday, August 22 at 7:00 PM ET on FOX)

The 2024 Major League Baseball rolls on this week, and FOX is once again planning to spotlight more action in primetime. However, there is one small change this week. FOX is moving their traditional Saturday night primetime slot to Thursday this week. On Thursday, August 22 at 7:00 PM (ET), "Baseball Night in America" hits the air as the entire nation will watch a Major League Baseball game take place during the primetime hours. More details about Thursday's coverage can be located in the following paragraphs.

FOX has a classic and bitter National League East rivalry on tap. At 7:00 PM (ET) on Thursday night, Trea Turner and the Philadelphia Phillies look to extend their grasp on the National League East lead when they play Marcell Ozuna and the Atlanta Braves. This series is a vital one for both squads. The Phillies have two goals right now -- win the National League East and get the #1 seed in the National League. Meanwhile, on the Braves side, they are trying to remain relevant in the National League East hunt and remain competitive for a Wild Card spot if the NL East doesn't work out for them. 🎙 Jason Benetti will provide commentary with analyst and Hall of Famer John Smoltz.

A colossal and monumental American League matchup is earmarked for a national spotlight on FOX. At 7:00 PM (ET) on Thursday night, Jon Singleton and the Houston Astros are scheduled to battle Cedric Mullins and the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles look to keep pace with the Yankees in the American League East race. On the flip side, the Astros appear to be in a pretty good spot in terms of leading the American League West. 🎙 Veteran and versatile play-by-play commentator Kenny Albert teams up with analyst and 2006 World Series champion Adam Wainwright and reporter Ken Rosenthal to call the game.

|| Links 🖇 to important MLB on FOX and distribution resources:

• 2024 MLB on FOX Schedule (national broadcast schedule): https://tamirmoore.blogspot.com/2024/01/2024-mlb-on-fox-schedule.html
• 506 Sports Maps (distribution): https://506sports.com/mlb.php?yr=2024&wk=19

This week's distribution splits and announcer assignments for the MLB on FOX are displayed below.

And of course, any information that I present to you is subject to change during the course of the week. Please come back to this page for any and all updates.

• MLB on FOX ("Baseball Night in America") - Regional Coverage - Thursday, August 22, 2024

- 7:00 PM ET:

 vs

* Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves (Primary) - Jason Benetti, John Smoltz

74% of Markets Include: Albany, Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Denver, Detroit, Fort Myers, Fresno, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Lexington, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Mobile, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Providence, Raleigh, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Scranton, St. Louis, Tampa, Tucson, West Palm Beach

 vs

* Houston Astros at Baltimore Orioles - Kenny Albert, Adam Wainwright, Ken Rosenthal

20% of Markets Include: Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Portland, Richmond, San Antonio, Seattle, Spokane, Tulsa, Washington D.C.

- Note: Due to NFL preseason football airing on the main FOX station, the following markets will see Thursday's MLB on FOX game moved to an alternate channel instead (5%).

. Chicago, IL: 2.928%

. Davenport, IA-Rock Island-Moilne, IL: 0.245%

. Cincinnati, OH: 0.771%

. Indianapolis, IN: 0.975%

- Note: Due to unknown reasons, the following markets have chosen to not air a Thursday night MLB on FOX game at all (1%).

. Des Moines, IA: 0.382%

. South Bend, IN: 0.266%

. Fort Wayne, IN: 0.231%

- Sources: SportsLogos.Net (logos), 506 Sports (distribution)

Mandatory credit to Chris Creamer (SportsLogos.Net) for the use of MLB team logos during the publication process of this week's press release.

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