Charissa Thompson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charissa Thompson
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Thompson in 2023
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| Born |
Charissa Jean Thompson
May 4, 1982 Seattle, Washington, U.S.
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| Education | University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A.) |
| Occupation | Television host and sportscaster |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Television | NHL on Versus, Big Ten Network, Extra, Fox NFL Kickoff, NFL on Fox, Fox Sports 1 (sideline reporter) Numbers Never Lie on ESPN (host) SportsNation on ESPN (co-host) NFL Gameday Prime Host (NFL Network) |
| Spouse(s) |
Kyle Thousand
(m. 2020; div. 2022) |
Charissa Jean Thompson (born May 4, 1982) is an American television host and sportscaster. She works for Fox Sports and Amazon Prime Video. Before this, Thompson worked for ESPN, Versus, GSN, and the Big Ten Network.
She was a co-host of SportsNation with Marcellus Wiley. She left ESPN for Fox Sports in June 2013. She then became the host of Fox Sports Live when the new Fox Sports 1 network started on August 17, 2013. Thompson also hosted Ultimate Beastmaster, a reality show. From 2014 to 2017, she was a co-host on the entertainment news show Extra.
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Early Life and Education
Charissa Thompson was born and grew up in Seattle, Washington. She was the youngest of three children. From a young age, she knew she wanted to be a broadcaster.
She went to Inglemoor High School in Kenmore, Washington. Later, Thompson moved to California to attend community college. She then transferred to the University of California, Santa Barbara. She graduated in 2004 with a degree in Law and Society.
Career in Sports Broadcasting
Starting Out: Big Ten Network and Fox Sports Net (2007–2010)
Early in her career, Thompson appeared on college sports shows. These were on the Big Ten Network and Fox Sports Net (FSN). She also worked as a sideline reporter. She covered college football and college basketball games for these networks.
Thompson continued these roles as her career grew. She became a sideline reporter for National Football League (NFL) games on NFL on Fox. For the Big Ten Network, she was on shows like Big Ten's Best. She also appeared on Friday Night Tailgate.
For FSN, she worked on baseball programs. ..... She hosted FSN's rodeo show Toughest Cowboy. In fall 2009, she was a reporter for NHL on Versus.
Growing Career and ESPN Years (2010–2013)
In 2010, Thompson appeared on the NFL Network. She reported for Yahoo Sports during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. She also co-hosted "Fast Track To Fame" on the Speed Network. In June and July 2010, Thompson covered the FIFA World Cup in South Africa for Yahoo! Sports.
She covered the BCS National Championship game in January 2011. A week later, she covered Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, Texas. She also covered the NBA All-Star Game for Yahoo! Sports. On January 30, 2011, she covered the NHL All-Star Game for Versus.
In June 2011, Thompson joined ESPN. She co-hosted Numbers Never Lie with Michael Smith. The show started on September 12, 2011. Thompson also filled in as a host on SportsNation and First Take. In July 2012, she became the main host of SportsNation. She left ESPN in June 2013 to return to Fox Sports.
In 2013, Thompson co-hosted Splash on ABC. This reality TV series featured star contestants diving from Olympic-style platforms.
Returning to Fox Sports for FS1 (2013–Present)
Thompson rejoined Fox Sports in 2013 for the launch of Fox Sports 1 (FS1). She started as a host on Fox Sports Live. She also became a presenter for Fox NFL Kickoff. In 2018, she became the host of NFL Films Presents on FS1.
Hosting Thursday Night Football (2022–Present)
Since 2022, Thompson has hosted Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime. This is the NFL's first set of games available only through streaming. She hosts the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows.
Clarifying Sideline Reports
In November 2023, Charissa Thompson made comments about her past sideline reporting. She said she sometimes "made up" parts of her reports. This caused some discussion among other reporters.
On November 17, 2023, Thompson posted a statement to explain her comments. She apologized, saying she "used the wrong words." She clarified that the reports she "fabricated" were observations about the game. She said she never put words into the mouths of players or coaches. She meant she sometimes shared general observations that she didn't think anyone would correct.
Other Broadcasting Appearances
Thompson has also worked outside of sports broadcasting. In 2014, she joined Mario Lopez and Tracey Edmonds as a co-host on the TV show Extra. In 2016, she was announced as a host for the Netflix reality show Ultimate Beastmaster. Thompson also joined Top Rank's team for a boxing pay-per-view event.
She also appears in local TV ads for her father's car dealership.
Personal Life
Charissa Thompson lives in Malibu, California. In January 2020, she got engaged to sports agent Kyle Thousand. They married on December 30, 2020. It was announced in April 2022 that they had separated and were divorcing. She had been married once before when she was 25 years old.
