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ESPN AND ABC ANNOUNCE COMMENTATOR TEAMS FOR THE 2021 NFL DRAFT IN CLEVELAND
Mike Greenberg to Debut as Host of ESPN's 42nd NFL Draft Telecast
ABC to Present All Three Days of This Signature NFL Event for the Third Consecutive Year with Primetime Broadcasts Featuring the College GameDay Team Beginning April 29
The Walt Disney Company's team of veteran hosts, analysts and insiders will present the 2021 NFL Draft live coast to coast from Cleveland beginning Thursday, April 29, at 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT on ESPN and ABC. For the third consecutive year, ESPN and ABC will provide distinct primetime presentations on Day 1 and 2. ESPN will again offer the traditional draft telecast - a combination of X's and O's analysis, player highlights and storytelling - while ABC, featuring the 11-time Sports Emmy(R) Award-winning College GameDay Built by The Home Depot crew, will cover the event with an emphasis on the individual journeys of NFL Draft prospects.
On ESPN, Mike Greenberg will debut as host mere months ahead of his 25th company anniversary. Greenberg will lead ESPN's 42nd NFL Draft on Day 1 and 2 with senior NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., covering his 38th draft, and NFL analysts Louis Riddick, his seventh, and Booger McFarland, his third. ESPN's event coverage will also feature Senior NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen, covering his 31st draft, and Adam Schefter, his 12th, and NFL host Suzy Kolber, who will cover the event for the 18th year and interview draftees.
On ABC, 25-year company veteran Rece Davis, who recently signed an ESPN extension, and Maria Taylor, a leading voice across college sports and on NBA Countdown, will co-host the primetime broadcasts on Day 1 and 2. Davis will cover the event with college football analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard, returning for their fourth draft, and senior NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay, his 12th. From a nearby set, Taylor, covering her fourth draft, will anchor with college football analyst and third-year draft commentator Jesse Palmer. College football analyst David Pollack, returning for his fourth draft, will also provide insights alongside his College GameDay teammates.
On Day 3, Davis will host the 2021 NFL Draft on ESPN and ABC with Kiper, McShay, Riddick, Mortensen and Schefter.
The 2021 NFL Draft will also be streamed live through the ESPN App, broadcast on ESPN Radio and presented in Spanish on ESPN Deportes. In addition, the event will be televised on NFL Network presented by Verizon and streamed live through NFL digital properties.
On ESPN Radio, Dari Nowkhah will host with NFL Front Office Insider Mike Tannenbaum, ESPN Radio's Bart Scott (Day 1 and 2), NFL Draft analyst Jim Nagy (Day 3) and reporter Ian Fitzsimmons.
On ESPN Deportes, Eduardo Varela and Pablo Viruega will provide event coverage in Spanish.
More programming details will be announced at a later date.
This year, the League will build upon the 2020 Draft-A-Thon, utilizing the 2021 Draft as a platform to bring awareness to issues impacting communities most affected by the pandemic. More information on Draft and Draft-A-Thon will be announced in the coming weeks.
Schedule:
Date Time (EDT) Event Networks
Thursday, Apr 29 8:00-11:30 p.m. Round 1 ESPN, ABC, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network
Friday, Apr 30 7:00-11:30 p.m. Rounds 2 and 3 ESPN/ESPN2, ABC, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network
Saturday, May 1 12:00-7:00 p.m. Rounds 4-7 ESPN (ABC simulcast), ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network
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