In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as a sports announcer or sportscaster) provides live commentary on a game or event, traditionally in the present tense. There are two main types of sports broadcasting: radio and television. Radio broadcasting requires the commentator to describe the action in detail because the listeners cannot see it for themselves. Radio commentators use vivid descriptions to provide a captivating experience for the audience. In television broadcasts, commentators generally speak over images of the event, while sounds from the action and spectators are heard in the background. Television commentators rarely appear on screen during an event, although some networks show them before or after the contest or briefly during breaks. Over time, sports broadcasting has developed with the arrival of new technological advancements as it was originally limited to newspapers and print media. The development of radio in the early 20th century significantly changed how the public consumed sports media by enabling listeners to hear commentary in real time. The history of sports broadcasting dates back to April 11, 1921 when the first live radio broadcast for a sporting event was aired. This was the beginning of a new era for sports broadcasting and the way it was displayed to the public. Two decades later on May 17, 1939, the first live televised sports broadcast of a baseball game was transmitted to the public. This created a major shift in sports broadcasting as television provided the audience with visuals and commentary that changed their experience. As the popularity of television increased, it brought the integration of sports broadcasting into everyday life. The audience saw sports commentators as more than just narrators; they became analysts and entertainers.
Types of commentators
Main/play-by-play commentator
The main commentator, also called the play-by-play commentator or announcer in North America, blow-by-blow in combat sports coverage, lap-by-lap for motorsports coverage, or ball-by-ball for cricket coverage, is the primary speaker and the moderator of the broadcast. Broadcasters in this role clearly describe each play or development as the event unfolds. Because of their skill level, commentators like Al Michaels, Brian Anderson, Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan, Jim Nantz, and Joe Buck in the US, David Coleman in the UK, and Bruce McAvaney in Australia may have careers in which they call several different sports at one time or another. Other main commentators may, however, only call one sport (Joe Rogan for example announces only one sport which is mixed martial arts, specifically the UFC organization and Peter Drury for the Premier League Football Association). The vast majority of play-by-play announcers are male; female play-by-play announcers had not seen sustained employment until the 21st century. Radio and television play-by-play require different approaches. Radio commentators typically provide more description because listeners cannot see the action. It is unusual to have radio and television broadcasts share the same play-by-play commentator for the same event, except in cases of low production budgets or when a broadcaster is particularly renowned (Rick Jeanneret's hockey telecasts, for example, were simulcast on radio and television from 1997 until his 2022 retirement). Radio commentary can create a more intimate connection with the audience because listeners rely on the commentator to follow the action. Commentators therefore use detailed descriptions to help listeners visualize the event. In television broadcasts, viewers can watch the event as it happens, so commentators focus more on analysis and supplementary information. They may use slow motion, instant replays, and other technology to support their commentary.
Analyst/color commentator
An analyst, also called a color commentator, provides expert analysis and background information, including statistics, team and player strategies, anecdotes, and occasional humor. Analysts are usually former athletes or coaches in the sports they cover, although there are exceptions. The term "color" refers to the levity and insight provided by the analyst. The most common format for a sports broadcast is to have an analyst/color commentator work alongside the main/play-by-play announcer. An example is NBC Sunday Night Football in the United States, featuring former NFL receiver Cris Collinsworth as the color commentator and Mike Tirico as the play-by-play announcer. In the United Kingdom, the distinction between play-by-play and color commentary is less pronounced. Two-person teams usually pair a lead commentator with formal journalistic training but little or no competitive experience with a current or former competitor who provides analysis. There are however exceptions to this—most of the United Kingdom's leading cricket and snooker commentators are former professionals in their sports, while the former Formula One racing commentator Murray Walker had no formal journalistic training and only limited racing experience of his own (he had come from an advertising background and his initial hiring was more of a comic double act than a traditional sports commentary pairing). In the United States, Pat Summerall, a former professional kicker, spent most of his broadcasting career as a play-by-play announcer. Comedian Dennis Miller's short-lived run as part of the Monday Night Football booth in 2001 caused what Miller himself described as a "maelstrom" of perplexed reviews. Although the combination of a play-by-play announcer and color commentator is now considered the standard, it was much more common for a broadcast to have only one play-by-play announcer working alone. Vin Scully, longtime announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was one of the few examples of this practice lasting into the 21st century until he retired in 2016. The three-person booth is a format used on Monday Night Football, in which there are two color commentators, usually one being a former player or coach and the other being an outsider, such as a journalist (Howard Cosell was one long-running example) or a comedian (such as the before mentioned Dennis Miller).
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