Many consider Rich Eisen one of the top sportscasters in the world today, but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the 55-year-old. At one point, he had to leave ESPN to create his own brand. This led to the creation of “The Rich Eisen” Show in 2014, which paved the way for Eisen’s breakthrough in sportscasting.
Rich Eisen’s Unlikely Rise to Sports Broadcasting Stardom
Eisen was just another graduate student happy to earn a few bucks for his passion before he rose to stardom at ESPN and NFL Network. In 1993, he worked as a stringer for the Tribune and covered high school football and basketball games while he was a student at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism.
Eisen spent eight months at Northwestern’s campus and covered high-profile events like Michael Jordan’s first retirement and the Cubs’ hiring of manager Tom Trebelhorn. Eisen, who once worked as a crime reporter, got his first job as a sports anchor after being alerted to openings in sports by one of his former classmates at the Medill School of Journalism.
It didn’t take long for Eisen to make his mark, and he landed a role on the set of ESPN’s SportsCenter. But he left ESPN for NFL Network in 2003 to become the face of the league-owned entity. He has remained the featured host on NFL Network’s GameDay and its draft coverage.
The 55-year-old was NFL Network’s first on-air hire before its launch in November 2003. He has hosted NFL GameDay Morning and the network’s coverage of the NFL Draft, Scouting Combine, Pro Football Hall of Fame Weekend, and the Super Bowl. He also calls select regular-season games for the network.
Eisen eventually left big sports-casting networks to pave his own way in the industry. He created “The Rich Eisen Show” in 2014, and the show has received Emmy nominations. The show combines two of the most popular interests in the world- sports and entertainment and has attracted the interest of millions of viewers around the world.
The show has also hosted guests such as vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, and Mila Kunis.
Eisen Set to Return to ESPN After Two Decades
Since leaving ESPN, Eisen has gone on to become a six-time Sports Emmy nominee in the Outstanding Studio Host category. But over two decades later, he is set to return to the network as part of its forthcoming direct-to-consumer offering.
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The 55-year-old will take The Eisen Show from Roku to ESPN in the fall. Reports have also indicated a good chance the program, which runs from noon to 3 p.m. ET, could also be featured on ESPN Radio, where it would be viewed as an anchor for the network. However, there is no clarity regarding the details at the moment. ESPN will license Eisen’s program, and he is expected to maintain ownership and editorial control over the show.
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