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Jon Champion | |
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| Born | Jonathan Martin Champion (1965-05-23)23 May 1965 (age 59) Harrogate, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Archbishop Holgate's Grammar School, York, University of Leeds (Trinity & All Saints College)[1] (1988) |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist Sports commentator |
Jonathan Martin Champion (born 23 May 1965) is a Britishsports commentator currently working as an association football commentator forESPN andNBC Sports. Champion is a well-established and experienced commentator who has also worked for theBBC andITV over the last 20 years.[2] Champion currently covers theFA Cup forESPN, thePremier League forNBC Sports, and the 2024national USA women's soccer team at the Olympics forUSA/Peacock, sharing commentating duties with prior Olympic gold medalistJulie Foudy.[3][4]
Jonathan Martin Champion[5] was born on 23 May 1965[6] inHarrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire.[7]
Champion joinedBBC Sport in the late 1980s and worked as a football commentator on BBC Radio Five Live between 1992 and 1996. He worked alongsideAlan Green,Mike Ingham,Ron Jones,Rob Hawthorne, andJonathan Legard covering Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, and Football League matches for the network. During this time, Champion commentated on the1994 and1996 First Division play-off Finals, and the1996 UEFA Champions League Final betweenJuventus andAjax. His fellow commentator on that evening was future ITV colleaguePeter Drury.[citation needed]
In 1995, an opportunity arose to further Champion's career at the BBC.John Motson took a three-month break from his role as a commentator onMatch of the Day, allowing Champion to be drafted in to cover. Champion spent the whole of the 1995–1996 season combining his Five Live duties with appearances as a commentator onMatch of the Day. He was successful enough to move across to TV permanently the following season, afterClive Tyldesley left the BBC and rejoinedITV.[citation needed]
Champion spent five seasons between 1996 and 2001 as a full-time member of the BBC's commentary team, covering edited highlights of the Premier League and the FA Cup, in addition to occasional matches from theUEFA Cup. At the 1998 World Cup, Champion commentated on highlights of England's 2nd Round exit at the hands of Argentina.[citation needed] He also commentated on rugby leagueChallenge Cup games on BBC television, typically taking the televised Sunday game of each round withRay French commentating on the Saturday game.[8]
In the summer of 2000, ITV surprised the BBC with a successful bid forPremier League highlights. This kicked in from 2001 and left the BBC without any regular week-by-week football. Champion therefore moved to join ITV in 2001, and was a regular part of ITV's commentary team for thePremier League,League Cup,Football League, and theUEFA Champions League. He was loaned back to ITV for the2010 FIFA World Cup andUEFA Euro 2012, usually working alongside his ESPN colleagueCraig Burley. He returned to ITV Sport for the2018 and2022 FIFA World Cups, where he paired withAlly McCoist.[9][10] The duo was one of the broadcast teams of commentators forPrime Video Sport's UK Premier League coverage.[11]
In 2007,Setanta Sports UK signed Champion as their leadFA Premier League play-by-play announcer. Champion remained contracted to ITV but was loaned out to Setanta. For two seasons, he thus managed to combine his ITV duties with live matches on Setanta. During the2008–09 season, Champion was heard more on Setanta, who had also secured rights to the FA Cup. In May 2009, Champion commentated on his first FA Cup Final.[12]
Within a month, Setanta had gone into administration and were forced to relinquish their football rights. These were scooped up by the Disney-owned sports broadcasterESPN, who rapidly established a new sports channelESPN UK for the U.K. and Ireland and started broadcasting Premier League football in August 2009. Champion and moved across from ITV as their lead play-by-play commentator. He also commentated on theEuropa League and theFA Cup in addition to being ESPN's lead Premier League commentator. On 14 May 2011, he commentated theFA Cup Final between Manchester City and Stoke City withChris Waddle. He then was loaned back toESPN for the2014 FIFA World Cup andUEFA Euro 2016 alongside formerArsenal playerStewart Robson.[13][14] Champion now part-time commentates forUSMNT friendlies alongsideKasey Keller whenIan Darke is not available. From2019 to2022 MLS seasons, Champion was namedMLS on ESPN andUSMNT lead play-by-play commentator andUEFA Euro 2020 #2 play-by-play announcer alongside lead color commentatorTaylor Twellman.[15][16] After ESPN/ABC lost MLS rights, he became their lead announcer for ESPN's coverage of theFA Cup andEFL Cup, working alongsideStewart Robson orDanny Higginbotham.
Champion joinedNBC Sports on July 11, 2023 to commentate thePremier League for Sunday matches. He will continue his work forESPN/ABC.[17][18][19]
Champion was the commentator for the first time in thePro Evolution Soccer series fromPro Evolution Soccer 2008 toPro Evolution Soccer 2015. He worked alongside analyst and former Irish internationalMark Lawrenson fromPro Evolution Soccer 2008 toPro Evolution Soccer 2010. FromPro Evolution Soccer 2011 toPro Evolution Soccer 2015, he worked together with analyst from ITV,Jim Beglin. He was then replaced byPeter Drury as the commentator forPro Evolution Soccer 2016.[citation needed]
Champion was selected as a commentator forITV at the2010 World Cup inSouth Africa. For the2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil he commentated forESPN/ABC's coverage in the U.S.[13][14] During the2018 and2022 tournaments, he was praised for his commentary partnership withAlly McCoist.[9][10]
Champion is a supporter ofYork City F.C.[20] Champion's late father, David Champion, was the deputy headmaster of theindependent schoolBootham School inYork.
| Preceded by | MLS Cup play-by-play announcer 2018–2022 (concurrent withFox'sJohn Strong in odd numbered years) | Succeeded by John Strong and Jake Zivin |
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