ESPN broadcaster Molly McGrath was promoted from college football coverage to the NFL side just in time for the Worldwide Leader’s Super Bowl year.
McGrath — who joined ESPN in 2016 as a sideline reporter for ESPN/ABC Saturday college football games — will be the sideline reporter on NFL Network’s package of games, as well as the top fill-in host on “NFL Live” when Laura Rutledge is out, according to Front Office Sports.
ESPN will air its first Super Bowl in 2027.
“I’m thrilled to expand my role within ESPN’s NFL coverage and for the opportunity to showcase a broader range of skills, from sideline reporting to hosting in studio, while diving deeper into the sport at the highest level,” McGrath told FOS in a statement.
McGrath previously worked as a production assistant at ESPN in 2011.
ESPN and its parent company, Disney, absorbed the contracts of NFL Network talent in a merger that began on April 1.
The company’s $3 billion purchase of NFL Network was announced in January.
ESPN had another round of layoffs that effected on-air talent last Tuesday.
NFL analyst Ryan Clark, MLB play-by-play announcer/host Karl Ravech, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, “SportsCenter” anchor David Lloyd, Injury/fantasy football analyst Stephania Bell, NFL Network analyst Charles Davis, “First Take” contributor Cam Newton, NFL analyst Bart Scott, and boxing, MMA and pro wrestling reporter Andreas Hale were all part of ESPN’s layoffs.
ESPN/Disney Chairman Jimmy Pitaro explained in an internal memo that most of layoffs were due to redundancies following the Worldwide Leader’s purchase of NFL Network.
