On Thursday, NBC Sports revealed its newest host for Football Night in America and it’s none other than former ESPN anchor Maria Taylor.
Per a press release obtained by The Root, with this new position, Taylor has made history as the first female host of Football Night. For those unaware, FNIA is NBC Sports’ flagship studio show that precedes Sunday Night Football each week during the NFL season. Taylor made her debut as a cohost for the show last year.
In an Instagram post sharing the news, Taylor wrote: “So honored to share that I will be hosting @nbcsports “Football Night In America” starting this fall! Many thanks to all of you who pushed me, prayed for me and cheered me along in my career. Let’s do this!”
Added NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood, “Maria is the perfect choice to carry the legacy forward of anchoring the most-watched studio show in sports.”
Since joining the NBC team, Taylor has hosted many of the most-watched events and programs in sports including the Tokyo Olympics, Super Bowl LVI Pregame Show, Beijing Olympics and the Paralympics. Prior to all of that she also hosted the primetime network broadcast of the NFL Draft and the NBA Finals.
In addition to her hosting duties, Taylor also serves as executive producer for an upcoming NFL-centric eight-part docuseries titled The History of the Black Quarterback. The forthcoming show will “explore trailblazing Black quarterbacks who faced bigotry and prejudice as they progressed” and is currently in production. It’s expected to stream on Peacock during the 2023 Super Bowl week according to Deadline.
“This history and these stories are something I’ve wanted to do for some time, as they are reflective of our much larger national conversation,” said Taylor in a statement when the initial news of the docuseries was announced. “And almost as soon as I started at NBC, Broadway Video and I began discussing it with Pete. To see it being done on this level is thrilling.”