Nichols returned to ESPN last year from CNN to create a new daily, NBA-focused afternoon show called “The Jump.”
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During an interview with Justin Block of the Huffington Post, she noted there’s fewer middle-aged white guys fronting studio shows at the Worldwide Leader. Nichols’ comments:
Like Michelle Beadle, who returned to ESPN from NBC Sports, Nichols found out that the grass wasn’t greener outside ESPN.
But she earned plaudits at CNN for her grilling of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during the Ray Rice and Deflategate scandals.
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During a previous interview with SN, John Wildhack, ESPN’s executive vice president of programming and production, said the ESPN of the future would be far more diverse in front of the camera.
He cited rising on-air talents such as Jemele Hill and Michael Smith of “His & Hers” and Sage Steele for NBA coverage.
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“You’ll continue to see us lead the way in diversity in front of the camera,” Wildhack said. “We’re proud of the progress that we’ve made there. And we’re going to continue to build on that progress.”
