Behind the Mic with Top Female Sports Anchors

Not long ago you rarely saw a woman hosting a sports show. The industry was largely treated as a boys-only club, and only in recent years have female presenters started taking center stage. Now women bring deep sports knowledge and headline careers that stand toe-to-toe with their male peers. Below are some of the standout women reshaping sports TV, on screen and off.

Melanie Collins: Golf Face and Multitasker

Melanie Collins is a familiar reporter on networks from NFL coverage to ESPN and CBS Sports, but she really carved out her niche on the Golf Channel. She holds a broadcast journalism degree from Emerson College, so she isn’t just a pretty face on camera. Off air she’s an avid snowboarder and golfer, and she’s even studying interior design at the New York Institute of Art and Design. Collins posts book picks on Instagram, mixing sports passion with lifestyle interests.

Molly Qerim: Emmy-Winning Moderator and Private Person

Molly Qerim built her reputation on shows like College Football Live and Fantasy Football Now, the latter earning her an Emmy for breaking news work. She’s anchored for CBS Sports Network and ESPNU, and today moderates ESPN’s First Take with a steady, no-nonsense presence. Off camera she keeps her personal life guarded, quietly marrying fellow ESPN commentator Jalen Rose in a private New York ceremony before honeymooning in Turks and Caicos. When she does share, it’s brief and thoughtful, matching her professional style.

Holly Sonders: Golf Pro Turned Presenter

Holly Sonders’ on-air authority comes from a lifetime in golf, not just studio time. She started in local TV and the Big Ten Network before joining NBC’s Golf Channel, where shows like Morning Drive and School of Golf made her a fixture. As a teen she won AJGA and national junior titles and later led Michigan State to a Big Ten crown, so she speaks the game from real experience. Golf Digest even featured her, recognizing both her athletic and on-camera appeal.

Erin Andrews: Sportscaster and Advocate

Erin Andrews has covered everything from the College World Series to Major League Baseball and made the jump to Fox Sports as the first host of Fox College Football’s studio show. She later broadened her reach by hosting Dancing with the Stars, bringing sports credibility to mainstream TV. Off screen she pushes for more attention to female fans, partnering with groups that get women into games and working with CoverGirl on the #Gameface campaign. Andrews mixes high-profile assignments with visible advocacy for women in sport.

Holly Sonders – On Screen

Holly Sonders began her broadcasting career at WBNS-10TV in Columbus and the Big Ten Network, as well as working as a field reporter for KATV. In 2011 Sonders moved to NBC’s Golf Channel and worked on shows such as Playing Lesson with the Pros, Morning Drive and School of Golf. Her presenting skills quickly saw her becoming one of the biggest stars of the channel, with Golf Digest featuring her as their cover girl and running a feature in their fitness issue.

Holly Sonders – Off Screen

Sonders’ incredible career as a golf presenter makes a lot of sense when you consider her background. She grew up playing golf from an early age and won the American Junior Golf Association and UCT National championships at the age of 14. She later competed in the US Women’s Amateur Championship. In 2006, she led the Michigan State University team to with the Big Ten Championship. It’s no wonder that Sonders is so brilliant at talking about golf – she clearly lives and breathes the game!

Cari Champion – On Screen

Cari Champion certainly lives up to her name! She boasts an impressive journalistic career stretching across many topics. She has worked as a news journalist covering human interest stories on channels such as Orange County News and WPTV-TV. She also worked as a celebrity reporter for shows such as The Insider and Hollywood 411 before turning her hand to sportscasting. Initially, Champion mostly reported on tennis, inspired by the sport’s powerhouse sister team Venus and Serena Williams. She currently stars as anchor for ESPN's flagship program SportsCenter.

Cari Champion – Off Screen

Champion is a huge sports fan in real life as well as in her on-screen persona. She describes herself as an avid basketball fan, and a supporter of the Los Angeles Lakers and UCLA Bruins. She also loves tennis, and is particularly inspired by the Williams sisters, saying, “They made me love the sport even more. They opened the door to tennis for so many different people." Champion is also dedicated to giving back to the community, and runs a program called “Brown Girls Dream”, offering mentorship to women of color who are interested in a career in sports.

Kristine Leahy – On Screen

Kristine Leahy is probably best known as the host of her own weekday TV show, Fair Game with Kristine Leahy. In 2013 she made sporting history when she became the first woman to call a horse race in the state of California. Having reported for FOX Sports, CBS, and Turner Sports, Leahy boasts a pretty impressive resume for her young age. She also won a Gracies Award in 2016 for her work on her eponymous TV show, in the category of On-Air Talent, Sports.

Kristine Leahy – Off Screen

Leahy may already be well-known for her strong opinions on the inclusion of women in the sporting arena, and off screen she has done a huge amount of work improving attitudes towards females in sport. “there are things in the industry that frustrate me,” Kristine wrote in an essay for Glamour magazine. “I want to be a voice for that. The way women are treated across the board is not right. We are still not equal to men. And sadly, not everyone understands that.”

Heidi Watney – On Screen

Heidi Watney is another successful female face in the world of sports television, with presenting spots on the New England Sports Network in Boston, Time Warner Cable SportsNet in Los Angeles, and two stations in Fresno under her belt. She also hosted "The Red Sox Report" and "The Ultimate Red Sox Show" on Boston-based regional sports network NESN. You can currently catch her on MLB Network’s baseball highlights show Quick Pitch, which she has been the star presenter of since 2013.

Heidi Watney – Off Screen

As well as her on-screen pursuits, Watney is an active sports player herself – while attending Clovis West High School in Fresno, she participated in hurdles, diving, gymnastics and cheerleading. She also competed in the 2002 Miss California USA pageant, finishing as first runner up. Watney isn’t just an impressive athlete, though – she was also a National Merit Scholar, and won a scholarship to attend the University of San Diego, from where she graduated with honors in 2003. Pretty impressive – brains AND brawn!

Erin Andrews – On Screen

Erin Andrews has reported for a wide variety of sports programs, including ESPN National Hockey Night, the College World Series, Little League World Series, and Great Outdoor Games. In 2012, Andrews left ESPN to join Fox Sports, where she was the first-ever host of Fox College Football's studio show, alongside analysts Eddie George and Joey Harrington. In 2014 Andrews took on a whole different ball game when she was announced as the host for the upcoming series of Dancing with the Stars.

Erin Andrews – Off Screen

Outside of her presenting work, Andrew is a huge advocate for the progress of female athletes and sports fans. She partnered with SubHub to promote GirlsNightOut, an organization that encourages girls to celebrate their love of sports by offering them free tickets to games. She also worked with CoverGirl for its groundbreaking #Gameface contest, which celebrates the beauty of women’s faces at their most spirited in-game moments. "Female fans just aren't paid attention to,” said Andrews. “But there are so many female football and sports fans that are into looking pretty. It's about time a beauty brand got it."

Jenny Dell – On Screen

Jenny Dell started her career at New England Sports Network (NESN), covering the Boston Red Sox. She has since gone on to report on a variety of high-profile sporting networks, conducting post-match interviews and analysis. She can now be seen mostly on CBS Sports where she is a regular contributor to the NFL coverage. “I’ve also said coming into this industry the end-all, be-all for me would be doing NFL football, and this is just a dream job,” Dell said when she took the position.

Jenny Dell – Off Screen

As well as her considerable professional achievements, Dell has made some huge strides in her personal life as well. In 2012, she started dating Will Middlebrooks, at the time the third baseman for the Red Sox, and they wed in 2016. The two of them welcomed two children, daughters, Madison and Makenzie, in 2018 and 2019. Dell has been incredibly open about her struggles with fertility, and spoken publicly about her experience of going through IVF treatments in order to have her two daughters.

Jenn Brown – On Screen

Jenn Brown started her career as a reality TV presenter on Hdnet’s Bikini Destinations, before moving into sports broadcasting. She first started reporting on Showtime Sports in 2008 and then joined Inside the NFL as a special correspondent for two seasons, helping the show win an Emmy for Outstanding Studio Show. She is probably best known these days for her stints as co-host for shows such as NBC and Esquire Network’s summer primetime show American Ninja Warrior, as well as fronting A Football Life: Backstory and the NFL Network’s NFL GameDay Scoreboard.

Jenn Brown – Off Screen

As well as her stellar career in sports journalism, Brown has turned her talent for entertaining to a host of other ventures. She has dabbled in both modelling, being featured in Under Armour’s athletic clothing line, and also acting, starring in the 2006 movie Two Tickets to Paradise. She is also married to Hollywood actor Wes Chatham, and together they have two sons, John Nash and Rhett Jameson. She also serves as a board member for the children’s charity Kids in the Game, dedicated to helping young people thrive through a life in sport.

Sara Walsh – On Screen

Sara Walsh began her career as a sports writer for the Beaches Leader newspaper in Jacksonville Beach, before moving to be Sports Director at WPGA in Macon, Georgia. She then moved to WKRN in Nashville in 2003, where she hosted Monday Night Live every week alongside Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, as well as leading a radio show with Albert Haynesworth. She won four Emmys in the three years she worked at WKRN, before moving to WUSA-TV in Washington DC. Most recently, she starred as ESPN’s weekend sports anchor from 2010-2017, the role that she is probably best known for.

Sara Walsh – Off Screen

As well as her glittering career as a sports journalist, Walsh enjoys the active lifestyle in her personal life too. Growing up in Florida, she played in the University of Florida’s soccer team as a four-year starter. She actually still holds the university’s record for goals and points in a single game. In 2012 she started dating former Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Matt Buschmann, and the two tied the knot in 2014. They have two twin boys, Hutton and Brees, and live in Nashville, Tennessee.

Britt McHenry – On Screen

Britt McHenry began her career as a sports reporter and substitute anchor for ABC Television’s Washington channels WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8. She then moved to ESPN in 2014 as a Washington, D.C.-based bureau reporter, where she covered shows such as SportsCenter, Outside the Lines, NFL Live and Baseball Tonight. McHenry left ESPN in 2017 and currently serves as host of WTTG Fox 5’s show Like it Or Not, as well as a commentator on Fox News’ streaming station Fox Nation.

Britt McHenry – Off Screen

McHenry is famously tight-lipped about her private life, never revealing anything about her personal details or dating status. She did once mention the type of man she would like to marry, saying they would share “an inordinate love of cheap Chili's queso." However, she has never revealed whether or not she has found someone who fulfils these criteria. She was once rumored to be dating Tennys Sandgren, but this was never confirmed or denied. One thing that McHenry is pretty open about is her politics – she’s quite outspoken about her conservative beliefs.

Kristen Ledlow – On Screen

Kristen Ledlow is probably best known for her work as the host of NBA Inside Stuff on NBA TV. She previously worked as a sports anchor for HLN and CNN, and as a host on WZGC alongside Jason Bailey and Randy Cross. Ledlow began her career as an anchor on The Good News Show on WTXL-TV. At the same time, she wrote for the Tallahassee Quarterback Club. She also worked on the ESPN Tallahassee radio show, before she was made a sideline reporter for Florida State Seminoles football games. She then co-hosted The Opening Drive on CBS Sports Radio, before moving to her current position at NBA TV.

Kristen Ledlow – Off Screen

When she’s not working on sports-related TV and radio shows, Ledlow is still pretty busy. A committed Christian, she attended North Florida Christian School and is keen to use her fame as an opportunity to help others. “I am highly aware of the platform I have been given — and I intend to use it for a purpose beyond basketball,” said Ledlow. “I have found that one of our most basic needs as human beings is to be heard. I want to use it to speak up for those who believe they are not heard.”

Alex Curry – On Screen

Alex Curry is well known as the sideline reporter for USA Network’s Team Ninja Warrior. She is also a reporter on FOX Sports West on their Los Angeles Kings and Angels broadcasts. Curry has covered a huge range of sports in her career, reporting on football, baseball, hockey, and volleyball, as well as various action sports. During her time at FOX Curry has won a total of three Telly Awards, and we are sure there are more ahead for her!

Alex Curry – Off Screen

As well as making a name for herself in sports journalism, Curry is dedicated to giving back to her community, in an around Southern California where she was born and raised. She volunteers at the Richstone Family Center in their Kids Club After School initiative, and has also started her own mentoring program. Curry also works with GrowingGreat, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of children and young people by teaching them how to eat healthily using a scientific approach.

Lindsay Czarniak – On Screen

Lindsay Czarniak started her career as an intern for WUSA in Washington, D.C. while she was still in college. She went on to work as a reporter for a variety of major channels such as WAWS in Jacksonville, Florida, WTEV-TV (also in Jacksonville), WTVJ in Miami, Florida, and the Speed Channel. She is probably best known for her role as sports anchor for ESPN, where she stayed for six years. She now works for Fox Sports as a studio host on NASCAR coverage and a sideline reporter on NFL games.

Lindsay Czarniak – Off Screen

As well as pursuing a successful career in sports journalism, Czarniak has dabbled in showbiz, having appeared in two movies. In 2000 she played a character called Mist in the independent action film Aquarius, and in 2009 she appeared in the indie horror film Ghosts Don’t Exist. Czarniak is also married to WRC-TV reporter and weekend anchor Craig Melvin, who works as a newsreader for Today. The couple has two children – a son, born in 2014, and a daughter born in 2016.

Josina Anderson – On Screen

Josina Anderson made history in 2015 when was appointed ESPN’s first female National NFL Insider. She is well-known for breaking some of the sporting world’s most memorable stories, such as being the first person to interview Vontaze Burfict after he was suspended for his hit on Antonio Brown in the 2016 NFL Playoffs. Anderson regularly appears on a variety of ESPN shows such as NFL Live, Sunday NFL Countdown, Fantasy Football Now and SportsCenter. Anderson received a Heartland Emmy in 2009 for her work in covering John Dutton’s journey to Ethiopia to adopt a child.

Josina Anderson – Off Screen

Anderson has a great many strings to her bow, and it isn’t just the world of sports reporting where she is an excellent performer. Anderson is actually a qualified ballet dancer, having worked with the Dance Theater of Harlem and Pennsylvania Ballet. An accomplished ballerina, she also performed solo for the American Youth Ballet. As well as her skill in presenting and dancing, Anderson has a great sense of humor and isn’t afraid to stick to her guns – in 2016 she lost a bet and shaved her hair completely off, presenting the show later that day with a bald head.

Amanda Pflugrad – On Screen

Amanda Pflugrad started her career working as a reporter at FOX Sports Arizona and a writer for Sun Devil Athletics. She has interviewed some of the most famous athletes of today, such as Emmitt Smith, Larry Fitzgerald, Kurt Warner, Jared Allen, Jake Plummer, Tony Hawk, Grant Hill and Vince Carter. She now works as the official reporter for the Boston Celtics, conducting interviews and delivering post game analyses. She also hosts the live pregame show for the Celtics’ home games.

Amanda Pflugrad – Off Screen

As well as her popular presenting work, Amanda Plufgrad also has an impressive history as an award-winning cheerleader. During her studies at the University of Oregon, Pflugrad was a cheerleader for four years, and actually served as captain of the cheerleading team in her senior year. In 2009 she was listed as an honorable member in the Dean's list, as well as being named Cheerleader of Week by Sports Illustrated. As well as her cheerleading work, Pflugrad provided mentoring in Campus Training for other students during her time at university. Now that’s what we call well-rounded!

Kate Abdu – On Screen

Kate Abdu has had an incredible career across a variety of sports and different countries. She started her career in Germany, hosting sports coverage for international news network Deutsche Welle. She then moved to the UK where she hosted a variety of shows for Sky Sports, such as Pay Per View Boxing events, European Football, Transfer Deadline day and Sky Sports News. Abdu has hosted both the FIFA Ballon d'Or and Laureus World Sports Awards numerous times throughout her career. She now works in the US, hosting the Premier Boxing Champions for Fox News.

Kate Abdu – Off Screen

It’s no surprise that Abdu’s career has been so international, when you look at her upbringing and education. Born in Manchester, UK, in 1981, she moved to Spain at the age of 17 and completed her high school diploma there, as well as learning the language fluently. She stayed on in Spain to study for a Bachelor’s Degree in European Languages, Translation and Interpreting. During her studies, she also lived in France and Germany, learning to speak the languages there fluently, too. Impressive! Impresionante! Beeindruckend!

Katie Nolan – On Screen

Katie Nolan’s outspoken nature has certainly not held her back in her career – rather, it’s made her a star. Nolan brings her unique voice to a variety of shows on ESPN of which she is the star, such as Always Late with Katie Nolan and the Sports? with Katie Nolan original podcast. Nolan has also hosted Fox Sports 1’s Garbage Time with Katie Nolan, which won a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Social TV Experience in 2016. She also produced and hosted her own digital show, No Filter, on FoxSports.com, providing a sharp and witty look at the sports issues of today.

Katie Nolan – Off Screen

As well as being an accomplished sports presenter and comedic genius, Nolan also has some incredible – and some outright bizarre – accolades to her name. In 1997, at the age of ten, Nolan won two gold medals for Rhythmic Gymnastics in the Junior Olympics. This is the type of gymnastics where performers use props such as ribbons or poles. It’s an incredible achievement at such a young age. In 2018 Nolan broke the Guinness World Record for most donuts stacked in a minute, in a tower, while blindfolded. Niche it may be, but still pretty impressive.

Charissa Thompson – On Screen

Charissa has been a familiar face on Fox Sports Live since the channel’s inauguration back in 2013, presenting a variety of different shows over the years. To name but a few, she has reported for Fox Sports 1, ESPN and Sports Nation. She also reported for Yahoo! in their coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, as well as covering the Super Bowl in Texas and the NBA All-Star game. Her career can pretty much be summed up in the fact that she co-hosted the iconic TV show “The Best Damn Sports Show Period”.

Charissa Thompson – Off Screen

Charissa has always maintained a degree of privacy when it comes to her private life. She stated in an interview with Jeff Pearlman that she is a “proud Christian.” but that she would “abstain from elaboration.” Although she usually prefers to keep her dating life out of the spotlight, she and her partner Kyle Thousand couldn’t help themselves when they confirmed their engagement earlier this year. “She said yes!” Thousand announced in a heart-warming Instagram post. “Couldn’t be more happy to spend the rest of my life with you baby. I love you so much!”

Sage Steele – On Screen

Sage Steele is one of the sports industry’s most well-known and respected commentators. She began her career in 1995 as a producer and reporter for WSBT-TV in South Bend, Indiana, before working her way up through the business. She now works as the lead host for ESPN’s SportsCenter on the Road, as well as co-hosting ET SportsCenter and ABC’s telecast of the Tournament of Roses Parade, both with her longtime co-anchor Kevin Negandhi. Steele’s fame as a sportscaster has seen her featured in magazines such as Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, Vibe, and The Huffington Post.

Sage Steele – Off Screen

Steele is just as accomplished in her personal life as she is in her professional endeavors. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in sports communications from Indiana University. After having her children, she shared her experiences and thoughts on motherhood on Disney’s parenting blog Babble. Steele is also a board member for the Pat Tillman Foundation, an organization dedicated to uniting and empowering military service members, veterans and spouses. She is also heavily involved with the V Foundation for Cancer Research, joining the board there in 2019.

Big Moves Behind The Mic

There have been a few headline-making shifts among the women on this list. Molly Qerim recently left her long-running spot at ESPN and has taken on a new hosting role with a major combat sports company, while other anchors from this piece have stayed put. These moves show how career paths can bend without breaking. Change is happening, but familiar faces are still very much on our screens.

Familiar Faces Holding Ground

Not everyone is moving around. Melanie Collins and several other anchors from this story remain steady in their network roles, reporting from sidelines and anchoring big shows. That steadiness matters for viewers who tune in for consistency as much as personality. It also keeps the idea that this is a long-term career open and visible for other women.

Big Wins For Women’s Audiences

Audience interest in women’s sports has climbed sharply. Recent major events drew unprecedented crowds and global viewership, and coverage levels have moved well up from where they used to be. That surge is translating into commercial value and more airtime for women’s stories. Still, some gaps remain in leadership and pay, so the momentum needs to be turned into lasting change.

New Platforms, New Voices

A big part of the story is how women are using new platforms to shape their own narratives. From podcasts and streaming shows to athlete-run channels, those outlets give anchors and athletes more control. That shift is creating fresh opportunities beyond traditional TV roles. It also means audiences can hear more diverse takes on sports, straight from the people who live it.

Where This Leaves The Next Generation

The trend lines point to more openings for women who want a career in sports media. Visibility, audience growth and alternative platforms all make the field more attainable. That said, the industry still needs to push on pay equity and more women in decision-making roles. For young journalists and fans, the message is clear: there are more doors now, and the work to keep them open continues.