Inside The NFL Hosts And Cast 2023

Inside The NFL host Lee Dawson was replaced by Bob Costas after he retired. Costas worked there until the 2007 season.

Dawson worked for the program from 1977 to 2001. Dawson worked alongside Nick Buoniconti and Cris Collinsworth. After Lee’s retirement in 2001, famous announcer Costas took his helm and hosted the show until HBO canceled the show. 

In Costas’ first episode of Inside the NFL, Bob honored the former hosts Dawon and Buoniconti stating that it was them that had made a successful mark on the HBO’s show. He continued the journey with the inclusion of multiple guests along the way.

Former NFL players Cris Carter and Dan Marino joined the program to discuss American Football. The show also featured comic segments from stand-up comedians like Lewis Black, George Lopez, and Wanda Sykes.

On 6 July 2008, the show took a new turn of events with James Brown as its host, along with Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth (returning guest), and Warren Sapp. New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman also made his entry in 2021 as a cast member. 

Inside the NFL was canceled by Paramount+ on 23 April 23. It airs on the CW Network from the 2023 season.

The program has seen multiple changes in its airing networks.

Starting in 1977, the program began airing on HBO. AI Meltzer was the first host of the program. However, he did not last long and left the show in 1978. Following the vacancy, Dawson and Merle Harmon filled the hosting duties for the program.

However, Harmon left subsequently, and Buonniconti replaced him. In 2002, Bob Costas joined the show after Dawson and Buoniconti retired.  Costas and his crew were the highlights of the show until HBO officially canceled the program in February 2008.

However, CBS Sports quickly made a deal to air the show in June 2008 on their ShowTime network. CBS hired new people for the new season and started airing the program every Wednesday. CBS moved the show to Paramount+ from Showtime in February 2021. 

Then, on 23 April 2023, news struck that Paramount+ officially canceled the show on their platform. The program was left without a new network for two months. Due to its lucrative nature, CW Network announced that they would continue the program from June 2023. 

Inside the NFL is not available on Showtime. The program left Showtime on 24 February 2021. 

Moving to CBS-owned Showtime on 3 June 2008 from HBO, Showtime Network aired the program for more than a decade. However, after a long run there, CBS decided to transfer the show to another network named Paramount+. 

The program did not stay long in Paramount+, as it ultimately left the CBS network in April 2023. NFL thanked CBS and HBO for showcasing the program on their Network for so many years. With the departure, NFL looked for a new platform. 

The CW took on the responsibility and they will be premiering the upcoming 2023 season from 5 September. It is a newer network for NFL coverage, unlike the big corporates like CBS and ESPN. If nothing else worked, NBC Sports stated that Inside the NFL could have been featured on NFL Network.

Fans can watch Inside The NFL on The CW Network from 8 pm ET/PT starting on September 5. 

NFL lovers can stream the program via the CW app or their official website. Both smartphones and desktop devices are supported for a smooth experience.

A new season under new broadcasters, the program makes its 47th launch for the 2023 season. CW is also a new broadcaster for NFL-related materials and they will simultaneously feature Golf too. 

What Channel Is Inside The NFL On?

Inside The NFL is available on the CW channel in various cables. The program is also present in their app.

Here is the list of CW Channel numbers present in different US locations for DIRECTV:

• Austin – 54
• Atlanta – 69
• Birmingham – 21
• Chicago – 26
• Detroit – 50
• Dallas – 33
• Los Angeles – 5
• Miami – 39
• Nashville – 58
• New York City – 11
• Sacramento – 31
• Washington DC – 50

Inside The NFL cast covers 1. James Brown 2. Phil Simms 3. Ray Lewis and 4. Brandon Marshall

These cast members worked under CBS’s Showtime and Paramount+. New broadcasters from CW have yet to be announced. 

James Brown

James Brown is the host of Inside The NFL since the 2008 season. 

Brown began working for CBS in 1984 and turned to announcing football games in 1987. From 1987 to 1993, James worked at the NFL on CBS program. Later, in 1994, he joined Fox as its NFL Pre-game show host for a brief period until 2005. 

Afterward, James went to CBS again and became the Inside The NFL host. Participating in The 60 Minutes TV show as well, Brown has taken part in multiple segments that feature NFL players like Brian Banks and Michael Vick. 

The veteran sportscaster has also hosted many other football shows like Fox NFL Sunday from 1994 to 2005 and as The NFL Today host since the 2006 season. 

Phil Simms

Phil Simms is a former NFL Quarterback who has been on Inside The NFL show since the 2009 season.

Simms has been embedded with the program for over 10 years. He also participates in the NFL Today pregame show since 2017. 

As a broadcaster, Simms began his career at ESPN in 1994. He has worked along with legendary broadcasters like Dick Endberg on NBC during the Super Bowl XXX and XXXII coverages. He then went on to join CBS Sports in 1999. 

A Two-time Super Bowl winner, Phil played his entire career for the New York Giants until 1993. There, he established 4,647 passing yards and displayed 199 TDs. Simms also won the Jim Thorne Trophy in 1986. 

Scott Graham has been the narrator for Inside The NFL since September 2009. 

The program showcases highlights from NFL Films to display the past week’s matches. Viewers will get to hear his voice during the highlight segments every week. 

Having his first NFL broadcasting experience with NBC’s Sunday Morning Football in 2006, Scott hosted the pregame show there. After Harry Kalas’s demise, the narration responsibility fell to Graham.