or


[09/26/12 - 07:18 AM]
Cari Champion Joins ESPN as Host of First Take as Show Ratings Surge
Champion joins featured commentators Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith as a full-time member of the show on October 1.

[via press release from ESPN]

Cari Champion Joins ESPN as Host of First Take as Show Ratings Surge

Broadcast journalist and television personality Cari Champion will join ESPN2's lively morning debate show, First Take, as host on October 1. Champion joins featured commentators Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith as a full-time member of the show where she will moderate the debate topics while offering her perspective and insight.

Champion joins First Take as the show's ratings are on the rise with year-to-date ratings up 33% among all viewers. Despite Olympic competition during the third quarter of this year, First Take is up 21% year-over-year from 3Q 2011 and is up even more among the coveted male 18-34 demographic with a dramatic 54% quarter-over-quarter increase.

"Cari brings a wealth of broadcast experience spanning both sports and entertainment across various networks, and we're excited to welcome her to the show," said Jamie Horowitz, ESPN's vice president of original programming and production. "It takes a strong personality to moderate this program and Cari knows how passionate Skip and Stephen A. get while defending their sports opinions. She's prepared to grab the reins and attempt to keep the show on track each morning. We wish her the best."

"I have been an avid watcher of the show. I love the barbershop debates that make First Take feel different than other programs," said Champion. "I am excited to join the show and will try to speak when Skip takes a breath and Stephen sips his water."

Champion has worked across the country covering network news, entertainment, and sports stories of national interest for ABC, CBS, NBC and other cable networks. A native of Southern California, Champion graduated from UCLA and moved to West Virginia for her first reporting job. She then moved to Florida where she covered the Williams sisters' superstar status in tennis and quickly created a name for herself which allowed her to cover more nationally televised events. From Florida's devastating hurricanes to high-profile human interest stories, Champion has covered all aspects of news.

Champion joins ESPN from the Tennis Channel where she was an anchor and a courtside reporter, most recently covering the 2012 U.S. Open. She has also served as an entertainment/lifestyle reporter doing features for The Insider, Hollywood 411 and Starz Entertainment.

Fans can follow First Take on Facebook (facebook.com/firsttake) and Twitter @ESPN_FirstTake, @CariChampion, @RealSkipBayless and @StephenASmith.





  [september 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[10/03/25 - 02:17 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting '25 MLB Wild Card Series
Across eight games, the MLB Wild Card Series is averaging 4.4 million viewers, up 65% from last year.

[10/03/25 - 12:37 PM]
BET+ Sets October 23 Premiere for "Carl Weber's The Family Business" Season 6
The 10-episode season will premiere with two episodes, followed by one episode weekly, with the finale on Thursday, December 18.

[10/03/25 - 12:07 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Continues to Shatter Records - Growing Two Weeks in a Row Since Season Premiere for First Time Since 2005
Plus: "High Potential" hit a season high in Total Viewers (4.24 million), growing by double digits over the show's comparable third episode from last fall.

[10/03/25 - 10:57 AM]
Legends, Champions and Icons of October Highlight FOX Sports' Postseason Broadcaster Lineup
FOX Sports begins its Postseason coverage Saturday, October 4 at 4:00 PM ET on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App and FOX One as the New York Yankees face the Toronto Blue Jays.

[10/03/25 - 10:05 AM]
All-New Season of "Gold Rush" Returns with High-Stake Risks and Land Fury on Friday, November 7 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery
With only a few short months to mine, top bosses and rising underdogs collide in a race to claim new ground, move more dirt, and strike it rich.

[10/03/25 - 09:12 AM]
FOX Nation Secures Exclusive U.S. Rights to Docuseries "Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar"
The acclaimed series will make its anticipated U.S. debut on FOX Nation on Monday, October 6.

[10/03/25 - 08:02 AM]
TNT Sports to Be Exclusive Home of 2025 NLDS & NLCS
Both best-of-five NLDS series begin Saturday, October 4.

[10/03/25 - 08:01 AM]
TNT Sports Sets BIG EAST Men's College Basketball Schedule for Inaugural 2025-26 Season
TNT Sports' regular season BIG EAST men's basketball schedule will feature 40 appearances by St. John's, UConn, Creighton, Xavier, and Marquette, programs that each clinched berths in last season's NCAA Men's Tournament.

[10/03/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "27 Nights" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a woman is admitted by her daughters to a psychiatric clinic for her carefree ways, an expert must judge if she is ill or simply wants to enjoy life.

[10/03/25 - 04:01 AM]
Video: "Steve" - Official Trailer #2 - Netflix
Over one intense day, the devoted head teacher of a last-chance reform school strives to keep his students in line while facing pressures of his own.

[10/03/25 - 03:02 AM]
Miguel Herran Will Play Poli Diaz in "El Porto the Vallecas," the New Film by Daniel Calparsoro for Netflix
Inspired by true events, the film follows the life of Policarpo "Poli" Díaz (Miguel Herrán), a young man from Vallecas who, despite a childhood marked by poverty and family violence, became a boxing legend in 1980s Spain, even fighting for the world lightweight title.

[10/03/25 - 03:01 AM]
Netflix Honors Jane Goodall with Posthumous Release of "Famous Last Words" Docuseries Following Her Passing
The series showcases reflective interviews with some of the world's most influential cultural figures, who agreed to sit down and discuss their legacy, and give their final words, with the understanding that it would only be shared with the world after they passed.

[10/02/25 - 04:09 PM]
ESPN Delivers the Most-Watched WNBA Semifinals Ever
Game 5 between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces averaged 1.8 million viewers, peaking at 2.1 million.

[10/02/25 - 03:01 PM]
Video: "Twisted Wonderland" - Trailer - Disney+
Your favorite villains reimagined in ways you've never dared to dream.

[10/02/25 - 02:51 PM]
ESPN's Record-Setting Day One of MLB Wild Card Series
Coverage of Red Sox versus Yankees averaged 6.5 million viewers, peaking at 9.9 million.