One of ESPN’s more underutilized talents is leaving its NBA coverage to join Amazon Prime Video’s broadcast team this fall, as Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports that Cassidy Hubbarth will become Prime Video’s top sideline reporter.
According to Marchand, Hubbarth will join lead announcer Ian Eagle on the streamer’s A-team. That group, which still needs a lead analyst, will call the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup in-season tournament and conference final series every other year under the new 11-year, nearly $20 billion broadcast rights package inked in 2024.
Marchand added that Amazon is eyeing TNT’s Stan Van Gundy and ESPN’s Richard Jefferson “among its top choices” to call games alongside Eagle.
For Hubbarth, the move comes as a major reward for a long career covering hoops for the worldwide leader. Despite working as a fill-in host on NBA Countdown and lead anchor for previous ESPN NBA properties like NBA Tonight and NBA Coast to Coast, in addition to sideline reporting duties for game broadcasts, Hubbarth found herself a rung or two below the top teams at ESPN.
As with its move to promote Taylor Rooks to lead NBA studio host, Amazon has identified an established reporter in the space deserving of a bigger role and given it to them.
Hubbarth is the first sideline reporter hired by the two newcomers to NBA broadcasting under the new agreement as both Prime Video and NBC fill out their teams.
So far, Amazon has reportedly tabbed Eagle and Kevin Harlan for play-by-play as well as Rooks and former players Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki for its studio show.
Meanwhile, NBC expanded Mike Tirico’s duties to include the NBA and is expected to do the same with Noah Eagle. The network, which will air the NBA for the first time in nearly three decades in the fall, also hired Jamal Crawford as its lead game analyst.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.