Kevin Wildes (sportscaster)

Last updated
Kevin Wildes
Born
Kevin Robert Wildes

(1978-02-10) February 10, 1978 (age 46) [1] [2]
Alma mater La Salle University
Occupation(s)Sports television producer and host
Notable credit(s) SportsNation
NBA Countdown
The Jump
First Things First
Spouse
Libby Geist
​
(m. 2011)​

Kevin Robert Wildes is an American sports television producer, personality, sports radio talk show host, and podcaster. Wildes currently serves as a co-host on Fox Sports 1's First Things First (FTF) alongside Nick Wright and Chris Broussard.

Contents

Early and personal life

Wildes is a native of Groton, Connecticut. [3] Wildes graduated from La Salle University in Philadelphia. [1] In 2011, he married his wife, Libby Geist. [1]

Sports broadcasting career

Television

Wildes worked as a coordinating producer on ESPN2 shows SportsNation and Numbers Never Lie . [1] Additionally, Wildes also served as a coordinating producer Winners Bracket, a part of ESPN Sports Saturday . [1] Wildes also has producing credits on Olbermann , Grantland Basketball Hour , and It's the Shoes . [4]

While at ESPN, Wildes became the Vice President of Original Content for NBA Studio Production. [5] He supervised production for NBA Countdown , and also launched and developed The Jump . [5] [6] Wildes also launched and developed Detail by Kobe Bryant for ESPN+. [5]

Later, in 2018, Wildes served as the executive producer for ABC's GMA Day when it launched. [5] [7]

In 2020, Wildes joined FS1 to be an on-air host on First Things First . [4] [5] As of 2024, Wildes remains in that role. [8]

Podcasting

In 2013, Wildes and David Jacoby co-hosted the Grantland podcast Half-Baked Ideas. [9] Wildes has appeared on multiple podcasts hosted by Bill Simmons. While with ESPN, Simmons hosted The B.S. Report , on which Wildes appeared. [10] Wildes has also made guest appearances on Simmons' eponymous sports podcast. [11] [12] Wildes contributes to the "Half-Baked Ideas" segment on Simmons' podcast. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Simmons</span> American podcaster and sportswriter (born 1969)

William John Simmons III is an American podcaster, sportswriter, and cultural critic who is the founder and CEO of the sports and pop culture website The Ringer. Simmons first gained attention with his website as "The Boston Sports Guy" and was recruited by ESPN in 2001, where he eventually operated the website Grantland and worked until 2015. At ESPN, he wrote for ESPN.com, hosted his own podcast on ESPN.com titled The B.S. Report and was an analyst for two years on NBA Countdown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Greenwald</span> American journalist

Andy Greenwald is an American author, critic, podcaster, screenwriter, and television producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ric Bucher</span> American sports journalists (born 1961)

Richard Mathias Bucher is an NBA analyst for Fox Sports and an occasional host of FS1's "Speak" afternoon talk show. He also hosts a daily podcast, "On The Ball with Ric Bucher." Before joining Fox he was a SiriusXM radio host and senior writer with Bleacher Report. He has appeared on NBA TV as an analyst and on TNT as a sideline reporter for NBA telecasts. Prior to joining SXM, TNT and BR, Bucher worked as an NBA Insider for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and co-hosted Bucher, Towny and Huff mornings on 95.7 The Game. Bucher's first national platform was as an NBA analyst for ESPN and ESPN.com beginning in 1998. He served as a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine and a columnist for ESPN.com. He joined FOX in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryen Russillo</span> American sports journalist

Ryen Russillo is an American sports host who for many years hosted a popular radio show on ESPN. Russillo left ESPN in 2019 to join The Ringer.

"Roundball Rock" is a musical composition by John Tesh composed in 1990 for the NBA on NBC. The song has served as the theme for the NBA on NBC from 1990-2002, and will be the theme again starting in 2025. It also currently serves as the theme song for CBB on FOX.

Mark Titus is an American author, podcast host, and former walk-on basketball player at Ohio State.

Michael Lombardi is an American football executive and media analyst who is the general manager for the North Carolina Tar Heels football team. Until 2016, he was an assistant to the coaching staff of the New England Patriots and is a former analyst for the NFL Network and sportswriter at NFL.com. Lombardi also previously served as an NFL executive with the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, and Oakland Raiders. He hosts his own podcast "The GM Shuffle" formerly with Adnan Virk now with Femi Abebefe, and co-hosts a Saturday morning sports betting program on Sirius XM for Vegas Stats & Information Network along with a daily show on Vegas Stats & Information Network called "The Lombardi Line".

Kevin Hench is an American screenwriter, television producer, television writer and columnist for foxsports.com.

<i>Grantland</i> Sports and pop culture website owned by ESPN

Grantland was a sports and pop-culture blog owned and operated by ESPN. The blog was started in 2011 by veteran writer and sports journalist Bill Simmons, who remained as editor-in-chief until May 2015. Grantland was named after famed early-20th-century sportswriter Grantland Rice (1880–1954).

Juliet Elinor Litman is an American journalist, editor, and American media personality. As of 2017, she is the Head of Production at The Ringer, Bill Simmons' latest online enterprise. Litman is the former host of the Right Reasons and NBA After Dark podcasts and was also formerly the Special Projects Editor at Grantland.

William Jerome Barnwell Jr. is an American sportswriter and staff writer for ESPN.com. He has written about a wide range of sports including football, basketball, baseball, soccer, golf and mixed martial arts.

<i>The Ringer</i> (website) American sports and pop culture website

The Ringer is a sports and pop culture website and podcast network, founded by sportswriter Bill Simmons in 2016 and acquired by Spotify in 2020.


David Jacoby is a television producer, host, and podcaster. He is a former ESPN broadcaster and producer.

Jalen & Jacoby was a sports talk radio and television program that aired on ESPN, featuring ex-NBA player Jalen Rose and sportscaster David Jacoby. The show began as a radio podcast hosted by the two in 2011. The final episode of the series was on November 24, 2022, after the departure of Jacoby from the network. During its run, the television series was also known for interviewing hip-hop musicians live on air. The podcast on which the show is based was awarded an honorary Webby award in 2021.

Nicholas James Wright is an American sports television personality, sports podcaster, and former sports radio talk show host. Wright is a co-host on Fox Sports 1's First Things First (FTF) alongside Kevin Wildes and Chris Broussard. Wright also hosts his podcast What's Wright? with Nick Wright with Damonza Byrd.

Mallory Rubin is an American editor and podcaster. She is most well-known for her work at The Ringer, and for the Binge Mode pop culture podcast which she co-hosted with Jason Concepcion. She is one of the founding editors of The Ringer and currently serves as Editor-In-Chief.

<i>First Things First</i> (talk show) Sports talk show broadcast by FS1

First Things First (FTF) is an American sports and entertainment talk show starring Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes. Originally titled First Things First with Cris Carter and Nick Wright, the series premiered on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) on September 5, 2017. The show is also released as a podcast and radio simulcast.

Sports podcasts are a subset of podcasts that cover topics related to sports and athletes. Content can include sports news, predictions and analysis of game results, debates and discussions between hosts, and interviews with sports figures.

Tommy Alter is an American television producer and sports podcaster. With various media credits to his name, he is perhaps best known for being former National Basketball Association (NBA) player JJ Redick's co-host on multiple podcasts.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Libby Geist, Kevin Wildes". New York Times . September 18, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  2. ↑ @firstthingsfirstonfs1 (February 10, 2021). "Happy birthday to our guy @kevin.wildes!! 🎉🎉" . Retrieved August 14, 2024– via Instagram.
  3. 1 2 "Kevin Wildes Bio & Career Accomplishments". Fox Sports . Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Maglio, Tony (February 27, 2020). "Longtime TV Producer Kevin Wildes Replaces Cris Carter on FS1's 'First Things First'". TheWrap . Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Steinberg, Brian (February 27, 2020). "Kevin Wildes, Longtime ESPN Producer, Goes On Camera for Fox Sports". Variety . Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  6. ↑ Carfado, Ben (October 13, 2016). "ESPN NBA Countdown: Jalen Rose, Chauncey Billups & Tracy McGrady to Join Host Michelle Beadle" (Press release). ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  7. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 2, 2018). "ESPN's Kevin Wildes Joins 'GMA Day' As Executive Producer". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  8. ↑ Tornoe, Kevin (August 31, 2022). "Fox Sports adds LeSean McCoy, WFAN and ex-WIP host Craig Carton to FS1 lineup". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Half-Baked Ideas Podcast: David Jacoby and Kevin Wildes". Grantland . December 1, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  10. ↑ "The B.S. Report: Bill Simmons and Kevin Wildes". ESPN. September 27, 2012. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  11. ↑ Simmons, Bill; Jacoby, David (June 1, 2022). "NBA Finals Angles With David Jacoby and Kevin Wildes. Plus, Jon Bernthal's Return to the Pod". The Ringer . Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  12. ↑ Simmons, Bill; Jacoby, David (June 1, 2022). "A Kevin Wildes–Dave Jacoby Reunion, Plus Freddie Gibbs Finally Comes On". The Ringer . Retrieved September 25, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.