Maria Taylor Selected as NBC's Primary NBA and WNBA Studio Host

Maria Taylor, a sports broadcaster, has been appointed as the lead studio host for both the NBA and WNBA, as NBCUniversal prepares to commence its long-term rights agreement with the league this autumn.

Taylor will host the NBA studio shows on NBC Sports on Sunday and Tuesday evenings, in addition to analysts Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter, on both NBC and Peacock. Taylor is expected to host select WNBA games on NBC and Peacock in 2026, in addition to her studio position, as reported by NBC.com.

Beginning in October, the NBA on NBC and Peacock will provide national coverage of regional doubleheaders on Tuesday evenings. NBC Sports will introduce Sunday Night Basketball on NBC and Peacock on February 1, following the conclusion of Sunday Night Football coverage in January 2026. Beginning this autumn, Peacock will also broadcast exclusive national Monday night events via livestream.

Since 2022, Taylor has served as the primary presenter of Football Night in America. Taylor has also served as a host for the Tokyo, Beijing, and Paris Olympics, as well as for the primetime college football studio program of NBC Sports and Big Ten College Countdown.

Taylor will no longer be hosting Big Ten College Countdown as a result of her new NBA position. A replacement host will be announced in the near future.

Taylor was awarded a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Live Special – Championship Event as part of NBCUniversal's coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“I’m deeply honored to be part of NBC Sports’ incredible legacy covering the NBA and to return to the game that first captured my heart, women’s basketball,” she sharesTaylor. “To know that I’ll spend the next five years with my NBC family telling the stories of the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the NBA Playoffs, and the WNBA Finals is more than a dream come true — it’s a full-circle moment.”