Football Night in America Hosts covers Maria Taylor as the primary host and Jac Collinsworth as the on site host. They joined NBC in 2021.
Football Night in America Tonight is an 80-minute pre-game program that airs at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Sundays during the regular season. Its building is currently headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.
Since 2006, former footballers and media personalities have been able to appear as part of the program. The original cast included Jerome Bettis, Cris Collinsworth, Bob Costas, Peter King, and Sterling Shape.
The first episode was released on September 10, 2006. From its inception to today, the show has aired eighteen seasons for 305 episodes.
It will return in 2023 with Devin McCourty as the newest member. He will be part of the studio analysts panel.
Cast Members Of The NBC Show
Football Night in America cast includes Fantasy Football expert Matthew Berry and studio analysts Devin McCourty and Chris Simms.
McCourty, who played for the New England Patriots from 2010 to 2022, retired from pro football in March 2022 and soon joined NBC as the studio analyst.
After competing at the highest level for 13 years, the three-time Vince Lombardi Trophy winner announced his path toward broadcasting a couple of months later, in May 2022.
Likewise, Berry joined the team in 2022 following his departure from ESPN. He was hired as a fantasy football analyst and worked in ‘Fantasy Football Happy Hour’ and ‘Fantasy Football Pregame.’
The 53-year-old studied electronic media at Syracuse University and has worked in show business at the start of his career. He switched to fantasy sports in the early 2000s and never looked back.
Similarly, here is a list of the cast members working with the television network:
- Maria Taylor: Co-host in 2021, Main host since 2022
- Rodney Harrison: On-site analyst, since 2009
- Mike Florio: NFL Insider, since 2010
- Chris Simms: Studio Analyst, since 2017
- Ahmed Fareed: Fill-in host, since 2020
- Steve Kornacki: Studio Analytics, since 2020
- Jac Collinsworth: On-site host, since 2021
- Matthew Berry: Fantasy Football Expert, since 2022
Former Members
The pre-game show has seen many faces represent them on national television since its inception in 2006.
Below are the personalities who once featured as analyst, host, or in other roles for the show:
- Jerome Bettis – Studio analyst (2006-09)
- Cris Collinsworth – Studio analyst (2006-09)
- Bob Costas – Studio host (2006-08), On-site host (2009-16), and Contributor (2017)
- Peter King – NFL insider / Contributor (2006-16)
- Sterling Sharpe – Studio analyst (2006)
- Keith Olbermann – Studio Co-host (2007-10)
- Tiki Barber – Studio analyst (2007-09) and On-site reporter (2009-10)
- Dan Patrick – Studio host (2008-17)
- Hines Ward – On-site analyst (2012-15)
- Scott Piolo – Contributor (2013)
- Josh Elliott – Contributor (2014)
- Mike Trico – Fill-in on-site host / Fill-in play-by-play (2016), On-site host (2017), and Studio host / Fill-in play-by-play (2018-21)
- Liam McHugh – Fill-in studio host (2016 and 2020), Fill-in on-site host (2017), and On-site host (2018-20)
- Kathryn Tappen – Fill-in host (2020-22)
- Drew Brees – Studio analyst / Fill-in game analyst (2021)
Schedule 2023
Football Night in America schedule follows the 2023 NBC Sunday Night Football. The airing will begin at 7 p.m. ET before the Sunday night primetime match.
The eighty-minute pre-game show appears before the Sunday night matchups.
Since 2006, NBC has been the only network to telecast the primetime games. An 11-year extension deal was signed between NBC and the NFL in March 2011.
Here is the full list of NBC Sunday Night Games, which starts at 8.20 pm ET:
- Cowboys vs. Giants – 10th September
- Dolphins vs. Patriots – 17th September
- Steelers vs. Raiders – 24th September
- Chiefs vs. Jets – 1st October
- Cowboys vs. 49ers – 8th October
- Giants vs. Bills – 15th October
- Dolphins vs. Eagles – 22nd October
- Bears vs. Chargers – 29th October
- Bills vs. Bengals – 5th November
- Jets vs. Raiders – 12th November
- Vikings vs. Broncos – 19th November
- Ravens vs. Chargers – 26th November
- Chiefs vs. Packers – 3rd December
- Eagles vs. Cowboys – 10th December
- Ravens vs. Jaguars – 17th December
- Packers vs. Vikings – 31st December
Halftime Show Broadcast Team
NBC football halftime announcers are Maria Taylor, Tony Dungy, Jason Garrett, Mike Florio, Chris Simms, and Steve Kornacki.
Simms started his broadcasting journey with Fox Sports in 2013 after stepping away from the role of coaching assistant at New England Patriots in 2012. He was in the 2013 college football coverage crew.
The University of Texas alma mater moved to Bleacher Report in 2014 to work as an NFL analyst.
Likewise, the former Quarterback served as a color commentator at CBS from 2014 to 2016. Finally, Chris joined NBC in 2016 and was included as a studio analyst for Notre Dame Football.
He was then given a role in FNIA and Sunday Night Football Final.
Similarly, Kornacki started as a reporter for PoliticsNJ.com and moved on to work at New 12 New Jersey, Roll Call, and The Cycle. One can find his articles in big outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Observer, the New York Post, The Boston Globe, the New York Daily News, and The Daily Beast.
He has been active since 2002 and has been part of MSNBC, NBC News, and NBC Sports. His affiliation with FNIA started in December 2020.
Main Host Maria Taylor
Maria started in NBC Sports in 2021, making her debut on the 2020 Summer Olympics coverage.
The veteran sportscaster, who previously worked for ESPN from 2013 to 2021, was included in the panel of the FNIA for the 2021 NFL season.
After Mike Tirio moved to lead the play-by-play commentary for Sunday Night Football, Taylor stepped into the lead host role for the show.
Before moving to ESPN, she worked three years as a host and reported for the University of Georgia and IMG College.
Veteran Analyst Tony Dungy
Among the current presenters, Dungy is one of the oldest members. He joined the network as a studio analyst in 2009 and has since been working there.
In 2018, the former Pittsburgh Steelers Safety was handed the role of fill-in commentator.
The 67-year-old played in the NFL from 1977 to 1980 and coached different teams from 1980 to 2008. His tenure as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-2001) and Indianapolis Colts (2002-08) were the highlight of his coaching career.
Former Cowboys Quarterback Jason Garrett
Likewise, Garrett started in April 2022 as the analyst for the broadcasting team covering the United States Football League (USFL). Later in August, he represented the network in the Notre Dame Football on NBC.
The three-time Super Bowl winner joined NBC Sunday Night Football a month later. He was partnered with Dungy for the show.
Lawyer And Sportswriter Mike Florio
Florio got his metallurgical engineering degree from Carnegie Mellon University and attained his law degree from West Virginia University.
In 2000, he started as a sports writer and worked for six months for ESPN.
Mike is the creator of Profootballtalk.com, which was acquired by NBC in 2009. After that, he started working as an insider and contributor for FNIA.
Is Dan Patrick On Football Night In America?
No, Dan Patrick is no longer on Football Night in America. He left the production in March 2018 after turning down a contract in December 2017.
Dan could not agree with NBC on a new deal and left the network. He was offered a five-year extension, which he left on the table. The financial details were not disclosed to the public.
In an interview with the New York Post, Patrick said, “I didn’t want to do it and not love doing it.”
The legendary sportscaster has been active in the broadcasting community since 1979. His on-air personality earned him the nickname ‘Dan Pugh.’
He was affiliated with CNN (1983-89), ESPN (1989-2006), and Fox Sports before inking a deal with NBC on July 7, 2008.
Patrick was instantly handed the co-host duty in FNIA with Keith Olberman.
After serving a decade at NBC, he moved to AT&T’s Audience Network to host Undeniable. He replaced Joe Buck in the role.
Where Is Rodney Harrison On Football Night In America?
Rodney Harrison is on the site of the game, providing analysis for Football Night in America. He moved to the role of on-site analyst in September 2021.
The former Safety and the two-time Super Bowl Champion played for the San Diego Chargers (1994-2002) and the New England Patriots (2003-08). He featured in 186 games and made 907 solo and 1,198 combined tackles.
Harrison commenced his broadcasting career in 2009, a year after bidding farewell to his NFL career. He was brought in as a studio analyst.
He fulfilled his duty brilliantly for 12 years. In his 13th year with the network, NBC switched his role from studio analyst to On-site analysis in 2021.
He was paired with Jac Collinsworth.
Regarding the change, Rodney said, “I’ve done the studio work for 12 years and I have a good time there. And now, this is another opportunity, another challenge.”