2016By Andrew Bucholtz on

Fox Sports has added a new reporter for a wide range of their broadcasts, bringing in ESPN’s Shannon Spake. Spake will serve as a sideline reporter on their college football and basketball broadcasts, as a pit road reporter for NASCAR events and a contributor to NASCAR Race Hub, and as a sideline reporter for select NFL broadcasts. Here’s more information on her experience from the release:

Spake’s move to FOX after several years with ESPN represents a “homecoming” for the reporter, who worked for FOX Sports’ SPEED a little more than a decade ago. Beginning in 2005, she reported for SPEED’s NASCAR Nation, co-hosted Backseat Drivers and reported from the NASCAR garage during the network’s coverage of the 2006 Daytona SpeedWeeks.

“Bringing Shannon back into the FOX Sports fold is the next step in ensuring our on-air teams are second-to-none,” said John Entz, EVP, Production & Executive Producer, FOX Sports. “Since her days with SPEED, we proudly have watched her become one of the preeminent reporters on the college sidelines today — one with the unique ability to transition seamlessly to the NASCAR garage. Shannon will be a huge complement to all our broadcast teams.”

Prior to joining FOX Sports, Spake served in multiple roles at ESPN, beginning in 2006. She most recently was a sideline reporter for Saturday college football games and select Bowl games, including a New Year’s Six Bowl. She served as a sideline reporter for ESPN’s Saturday Primetime and Super Tuesday SEC college basketball telecasts. She also worked the 2015 NBA Draft and covered multiple NCAA men’s basketball tournaments and Final Four championships for SportsCenter. Spake also was tasked with pit reporting for ESPN and ABC’s NASCAR coverage and offered reports on NASCAR and college sports for SportsCenter. Additionally, she hosted and reported for NASCAR Now on ESPN2.

“I am thrilled to return to the network that gave me my first opportunity in sports broadcasting,” Spake said. “I have always pushed for diversity in my career — to contribute across multiple platforms while covering a variety of sports — and FOX Sports has given me an amazing opportunity to continue to do that.”

This looks like a logical addition for Fox, as Spake has significant experience in a wide variety of the sports where they have key rights. She also has experience on the production side with CBS and HBO, and she should be well-suited to what Fox has in mind here. Interestingly, Spake’s hire even received praise from the woman she’s replacing as the lead sideline reporter for Fox’s CFB coverage, Molly McGrath:

It sounds like there might be something else to come for McGrath, though:

https://twitter.com/lildeac2/status/750782528382902272

McGrath also sent out an Instagram post last week that seems to be looking back at her time at Fox:

Anyway, Spake’s hire looks like a solid one for Fox, one that gives them a respected reporter with a variety of experience, and someone who has a substantial background in many of the sports where they have rights. It will be interesting to see how this move affects other reporting assignments at Fox, though, and if McGrath and perhaps others are on their way out.

[Fox Sports Press Pass]

About Andrew Bucholtz

Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.

View all posts by Andrew Bucholtz

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