Tuned In: Buck’s ‘ESPN Jeopardy!’

April 21, 2026

Sports trivia fans rejoice: an ESPN version of Jeopardy! is on its way. Joe Buck is expected to host ESPN Jeopardy!, which will debut this summer and air on Hulu, Disney+, and other potential Disney platforms.

Plus, Mike Tomlin is heading to NBC to join Football Night in America.

—Ryan Glasspiegel and Michael McCarthy

First Up

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FOS broke the news that the NFL and YouTube are in advanced talks on a five-game package. Read the story.
NBC’s Kevin Kisner has apologized for his strong criticism of CBS’s coverage of the Masters. Read the story.

EVENT

Want to experience Tuned In live in person? Join us for our annual Tuned In event on Oct. 13, 2026, presented by Elevate, where we’ll dissect the biggest sports media topics. Industry leaders will discuss everything from the future of media rights and streaming to women’s sports, sports betting, and more. Last year’s speakers included Adam Silver, Rob Manfred, Jimmy Pitaro, Greg Olsen, Maria Taylor, and Stephen A. Smith, among others.

Learn more and get your ticket here.

Joe Buck Expected To Host ‘ESPN Jeopardy!’

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Joe Buck is closing in on a deal to host ESPN Jeopardy!, sources told Front Office Sports.

The program is expected to air on Hulu and Disney+, and may also run on linear TV on ABC and ESPN’s streaming platforms this summer, sources said.

Buck is the venerable lead play-by-play broadcaster for ESPN’s Monday Night Football package and will be on the call alongside Troy Aikman for the network’s Super Bowl coverage this upcoming season. He previously guest-hosted a week of Jeopardy! in Aug. 2021 following Alex Trebek’s death.

Sony owns and produces Jeopardy! and has been looking for ways to expand the franchise.

This will not be the first time the Jeopardy! franchise has had an offshoot dedicated to sports trivia. Sports Jeopardy! previously aired on Crackle from 2014 through 2016, and was hosted by Dan Patrick.

ESPN Jeopardy! is expected to largely have celebrity contestants as opposed to drawing from the general population. Multiple ESPN talents are believed to be participating.

Mike Tomlin Heading to NBC Sports as Studio Analyst

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NBC Sports is hiring Mike Tomlin as its top NFL studio analyst, sources confirmed to Front Office Sports.

The hiring of the former Steelers coach will help fill the void left by Tony Dungy, who NBC let go of earlier this year after 17 seasons on the Football Night in America studio show. The Athletic broke the news of NBC’s hiring of Tomlin on Tuesday.

FOS previously pegged NBC as the “clear favorite” to hire Tomlin after breaking the news he had signed with agent Alex Flanagan of The Montag Group for representation in the media space. The 54-year-old Tomlin was widely considered the top NFL TV free agent after parting ways with the Steelers following the 2025 season.

As expected, the NBC-Tomlin negotiations wrapped up before the key “upfront” selling season in May, when networks try to sell the bulk of their advertising inventory to Madison Avenue. It’s easy to envision NBC showing off Tomlin as a special guest at its upfront presentation at Radio City Music Hall on May 11, just as it did last year when it announced Michael Jordan as a special contributor to its NBA coverage.

After 19 seasons in Pittsburgh, the Super Bowl winner stepped down as Steelers coach in January. Now the question is whether Tomlin will embrace a second career in sports media like his predecessor, Bill Cowher, did with CBS. Or will Tomlin use TV as a pit stop before returning to the NFL sidelines, a la Sean Payton and Bruce Arians?

NBC declined to comment.

Around the Dial

Jul 18, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird pose for a photo during the 2025 WNBA All Star Skills Challenge at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe detailed the future plans for their podcast amid their breakup.
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Dan Le Batard was not a fan of the Netflix Jail Blazers documentary.

Loud and Clear

Dec 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) after a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

“I’d have a fucking blast, dude!”

—Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on his New Heights podcast after Monday Night Football analyst Troy Aikman asked him about potentially joining ESPN when he retires. His older brother and New Heights co-host, Jason Kelce, already works for the media giant. The younger Kelce, who’s engaged to pop superstar Taylor Swift, is set to play his 14th season with Kansas City in 2026.