Mike Tirico, the popular lead face and voice of NBC Sports, is launching his own podcast.
Tirico and NBC Sports Radio plan to announce the launch of "The Mike Tirico Podcast" across all major podcast platforms this week. With new episodes rolling out each Thursday, Tirico will interview athletes and sports commentators, while delivering his own take on the biggest stories in sports.
"I have always been a fan of longer-form sports conversation — and look forward to having great guests," Tirico said in a statement.
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His debut pod will feature "Sunday Night Football" sideline reporter Michele Tafoya and sportswriter/author Gary Myers.
During the maiden episode, Tirico and Tafoya discuss what it's like to be in a production meeting with five-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady of the Patriots. An excerpt:
— Tirico on Brady: "The production meetings that we talk about on TV — to me, Tom Brady’s are among the most fascinating. Of all of the people who sit at the table, you feel like Tom Brady kind of locks in for the 45 minutes and really gives you good stuff, even when he can’t give you everything."
— Tafoya on Tom Terrific: "He gives you a lot of good stuff. He lets you into his life a little bit. The favorite line I ever got from Tom has nothing to do with football. He said, ‘My wife's best line is, "There are two really important things — maybe the most important things in life — timing and lighting." I couldn’t agree with her more.'"
Tirico also talks to Myers about his new book, 'How 'Bout Them Cowboys?" and the $5 billion "mom-and-pop operation" that is America's Team:
— Tirico on Cowboys owner Jerry Jones: “You really get hit with the reminder that it’s a family business ... that is where I find the most intrigue in Jerry Jones ... the league was family businesses — the Rooneys, the Maras — the Dallas Cowboys became big-time business, yet at the core of the success of the Cowboys, much like the Krafts in New England, it's a family business.”
— Myers: "I've called it a $5 billion mom-and-pop operation, and it really is.”
— Myers on Jones' business savvy: “When they were at Valley Ranch (the team's former facility), they got an MRI machine because they thought it would just be so much more convenient, although it wasn't very cost efficient. They worked a deal with the local doctors in the area to send their patients to the Cowboys' MRI machine. It was billed as, ‘You can get your MRI in the same machine that Tony Romo was laying down in just a few weeks ago.’ It became a very lucrative business situation for Jerry, renting out his MRI machine."
Since jumping to the Peacock network in 2016 after 25 years at ESPN, Tirico has become the face and voice of NBC Sports.
With Bob Costas sliding into a semi-retired "emeritus" role, Tirico is now NBC's lead host/announcer for the Olympics, the NFL, Notre Dame football, horse racing and golf. This season he began hosting NBC's "Football Night in America" pregame show, succeeding longtime host Dan Patrick.
Anybody who's anybody in sports TV now seems to have a podcast. The format allows TV and online personalities to have more relaxed, in-depth conversations with athletes, coaches and newsmakers.
Mike Greenberg, host of ESPN's "Get Up!" morning show, recently launched his own pod called "I'm Interested with Mike Greenberg."
Some of Greenberg's first guests have included Villanova men's basketball coach Jay Wright, college football guru Paul Finebaum and National Basketball Players Association executive director Michelle Roberts.
ESPN also recently rolled out an NFL-themed podcast called "Bootleg with Mina Kimes."
