Cari Champion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cari Champion
|
|
|---|---|
Champion in November 2014
|
|
| Born | June 1, 1978 (age 47) Pasadena, California, U.S.
|
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Broadcast journalist, television personality |
|
Notable credit(s)
|
Tennis Channel (2009–2012) First Take (2012–2015) SportsCenter (2015–2020) SportsNation (2018) |
Cari Champion (born June 1, 1978) is an American journalist and TV personality. She has worked as a news anchor and reporter for the Tennis Channel. She also hosted First Take on ESPN2. In 2014, Champion became an anchor for ESPN's main show, SportsCenter. She left ESPN in February 2020 after almost eight years. Later, she co-hosted Cari & Jemele (Won't) Stick to Sports with Jemele Hill on Vice TV. Currently, she hosts The Cari Champion Show on Amazon Prime Video Sports Talk.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Cari Champion was born in June 1978 and grew up in Pasadena, California. She went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). There, she studied English and also learned about mass communications.
Champion wrote for the student newspaper, Daily Bruin. This experience made her want to become a journalist. She was inspired by UCLA graduates who worked in journalism. Cari wanted to use her voice to help others. She said, "I wanted to give people a voice that didn't have a voice." She always wanted to support those who were not often heard.
During her third year of college, she studied in Washington, D.C.. She also got an internship at CNN, a big news network. Cari graduated from UCLA in 2000 with her English degree.
Career in Broadcasting
Starting in News
Cari Champion began her career at different TV stations. Her first reporting job was in West Virginia. She often worked alone, carrying her own camera and equipment. She loved it because she was passionate about being a reporter.
Before joining WPTV-TV in Florida in 2002, she worked as a reporter in California. In Florida, she covered many interesting stories. She also reported on big hurricanes that hit the state.
Reporting on Tennis
While working in Florida, Cari developed a love for tennis. She covered famous players like Venus and Serena Williams. She felt they made the sport exciting for many different people.
Because of her interest, she tried out for the Tennis Channel. She was one of three women chosen from over fifty people. She joined the network in 2009. At the Tennis Channel, Cari reported from the courtside. She also anchored the channel's news segment called Court Report. She also worked as an entertainment reporter for other TV shows.
Time at ESPN
On October 1, 2012, Cari Champion joined ESPN. She became the new host of First Take on ESPN2. This show featured lively debates. As the host, she guided discussions between sports experts Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. She described them as having "the biggest, strongest personalities."
Cari also wanted to do more journalism for ESPN. On November 4, 2014, she reported on American football quarterback Cam Newton. This story was part of the show E:60.
After asking ESPN for six months, Cari was promoted in June 2015. She became an anchor on SportsCenter, ESPN's main news program. She hosted her last First Take episode on June 19. She then started anchoring morning editions of SportsCenter in July.
Hosting on Amazon Prime Video
In 2022, it was announced that Cari Champion would host her own show. It is called The Cari Champion Show on Amazon Prime Video. She made her first appearance on the show on November 14, 2022.
