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Fran Charles
Fran Charles.jpg
Charles in 2012.
Born (1968-10-29) October 29, 1968 (age 56)
Alma mater Stanford University
Columbia School of Journalism
Occupation Sportscaster
Employer MLB Network
NFL Network
NBC Sports
HBO Sports

Fran Charles (born October 19, 1968) is an American television personality. He is a well-known sportscaster. He has worked for major sports channels. These include MLB Network and NFL Network.

Fran Charles's Journey in Sports TV

Early Life and Education

Fran Charles grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He went to John Burroughs School. After high school, he studied at Stanford University. He earned a degree in Communication there. Later, he got a Master's degree. This was from the Columbia School of Journalism.

Starting His Career

Charles began his TV career in St. Louis. He worked at KSDK-TV. He was a reporter and news writer. A year later, he moved to Ohio. He became a weekend sports anchor at WDTN. After three years, he moved to Boston. He worked as a weekend sports anchor at WHDH-TV.

Covering Boxing and Golf

From 2000 to 2007, Fran Charles was a boxing announcer. He worked for HBO Sports. He called fights for shows like Boxing After Dark. He also worked on KO Nation and World Championship Boxing.

From 2002 to 2006, he hosted a golf show. It was called PGA Tour Sunday. This show was on USA Network. He was the main anchor for golf events.

Working for NBC Sports

Fran Charles also worked for NBC Sports. He anchored the weekend Sportsdesk show. He reported live and did interviews for NBA on NBC. He also anchored sports news for WNBC in New York City.

Time at NFL Network

In 2006, Charles joined NFL Network. He hosted NFL Total Access. From 2010 to 2013, he hosted NFL GameDay Final. On this show, he reviewed Sunday's football games. He worked with famous players like Steve Mariucci and Deion Sanders.

He also co-hosted Thursday Night Kickoff. This show featured analysts like Kurt Warner. Charles was also a studio host for the Arena Football League coverage.

Fran Charles in Video Games

Fran Charles was even in a video game! He was a character in Madden NFL 10 by EA Sports. He played the main host of "The Extra Point." This was a weekly show in the game. It recapped the football season's highlights.

Moving to MLB Network

Fran Charles joined MLB Network in 2013. He debuted as a studio host. This was during the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He continued working there for many years. In 2023, it was reported that he left MLB Network.

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