ESPN unveils ‘Courtside’ altcast for Women’s Final Four

ESPN has revealed what is replacing The Bird & Taurasi Show at the Women’s Final Four.

The network announced Wednesday that its new altcast for the Final Four and national championship will be called Courtside, hosted by Jess Sims with a panel that includes Ilona Maher, Natisha Hiedeman, Courtney Williams, Chelsea Gray, and Katie Feeney. The broadcast will air from courtside at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix for both the Final Four on April 3 and the national championship on April 5.

When ESPN SVP Meg Aronowitz announced in February that The Bird & Taurasi Show was ending, she said the network planned to “reimagine and rethink” its approach to the altcast slot. The Bird & Taurasi Show was a hit for ESPN. The two lifelong friends brought real chemistry to the air, drew fantastic guests, and generated news-making moments. It was everything a network could want from an altcast, even drawing 1.4 million viewers for the 2024 national championship game (for reference, the ManningCast averaged about 810,000 viewers for ESPN’s NFL Wild Card game in January).

But instead of two former players anchoring the broadcast, ESPN is putting a larger rotating group courtside, leaning into the energy of being physically present at the arena. Sims, who has been a fixture in ESPN’s women’s tournament coverage this season and worked the sideline through first and second rounds alongside Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli, will host. Maher, an Olympic bronze medalist, will appear for both semifinal games and the championship; WNBA players Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams, known as the StudBudz, will serve as analysts for both semifinals; six-time WNBA All-Star Chelsea Gray will join as a guest analyst for the national championship; and ESPN sports creator Katie Feeney will handle roaming interviews and fan reactions throughout.

“We are thrilled to debut our re-imagined Alt-Cast at the Women’s Final Four,” Aronowitz said in the announcement. “With Ilona, Natisha, Courtney, Chelsea, Jess, Katie, and a dynamic lineup of guests, Courtside will deliver a fresh, authentic perspective on the game. By placing this group right at courtside, we’re creating an immersive experience that brings fans closer than ever — capturing the energy of the arena while also delivering insight, personality, and fun.”

As the network mentioned in March, the broadcast is part of ESPN’s broader Women’s Final Four MegaCast, which also includes Beyond the Rim and On the Rail feeds alongside the main ESPN broadcast.