US EditionJohn Tesh Talks Return of ‘Roundball Rock’ to NBC’s NBA Coverage
- Starting in fall 2025, when NBC regains NBA broadcasting rights, NBC Sports will incorporate a digitally recreated version of the late announcer Jim Fagan’s voice, developed in collaboration with his family, to enhance their basketball coverage and promotional content.
- This comes as NBCU begins its long-term, 11-year agreement to broadcast NBA games starting this October, alongside a collaboration with the family of Jim Fagan to commemorate his legacy.
- Fagan’s voice, familiar from NBC’s NBA promos and title sequences between 1990 and 2002, will be brought back using AI technology to complement the voiceover performances of other artists.
- Rick Cordella, president of NBC Sports, noted that Jim's distinctive and familiar voice evokes strong memories of a memorable era in NBA history for many basketball fans.
- Fagan’s daughters expressed gratitude to NBC Sports, stating this use of AI "is incredibly special for our family," while some fans voiced concern about AI recreations.
15 Articles
15 Articles
NBC will lean into nostalgia when NBA returns next season, but that only goes so far
When the Cubs launched Marquee Sports Network five years ago, I pushed for them to air a package of games on WGN. It would’ve been a wonderful gesture, an acknowledgment that without WGN there is no Marquee. And for viewers of a certain age — such as myself — it would’ve kept a link to a bygone era of television.Sadly, it never happened. But another network is scratching that nostalgic itch. When NBC begins an 11-year rights deal with the NBA th…
Late announcer Jim Fagan's voice will return with the NBA to NBC, courtesy of AI
NBC Sports is using AI voice synthesis technology to bring late announcer Jim Fagan's iconic voiceovers to its upcoming NBA coverage, hearkening back to the Michael Jordan era.
NBC Sports Will Use AI-Generated Voice of the Late Jim Fagan for Upcoming NBA Coverage
NBC is bringing in a legend from the ’90s when it comes to its upcoming NBA coverage. The brand will be using the AI-generated voice of late narrator Jim Fagan when it comes to league promotion and coverage once the network’s media rights agreement with the league begins in October. From 1990 to 2002, Fagan’s voice was synonymous with NBC’s coverage of the NBA as he narrated the openers and promotional spots for legendary games and stars like Mi…
NBC Sports to Hype Return of NBA With AI-Generated Voice of Announcer Jim Fagan, Who Died in 2017
NBC is making a nostalgia-fueled drive to the hoop to tout the return of the NBA to its airwaves in the fall of 2025 after more than two decades. In the latest move, NBC Sports announced that it will use an AI-generated voice of former narrator Jim Fagan, who died in 2017 at the age […]
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