Maria Taylor (Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
NBC has announced a significant career update for popular “Sunday Night Football” host Maria Taylor.

The 38-year-old Taylor joined NBC Sports in 2021 after a seven-year tenure at ESPN, turning down a lucrative extension from the Worldwide Leader in Sports. Taylor is about to enter her fifth season as the host for “Football Night in America” on NBC, but her schedule will get even busier after the NFL season.

On Sunday, NBC Sports announced that Maria Taylor would be the lead studio host for coverage of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, which will begin next season. Taylor will work alongside NBA legends and analysts Vince Carter and Carmelo Anthony.

Additionally, NBC Sports announced that Taylor will host some WNBA games on NBC and Peacock when the network begins coverage of the league next year.

Maria Taylor released the following statement on the exciting career news:

“I’m deeply honored to be part of NBC Sports’ incredible legacy covering the NBA and to return to the game that first captured my heart, women’s basketball. To know that I’ll spend the next five years with my NBC family telling the stories of the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the NBA Playoffs, and the WNBA Finals is more than a dream come true — it’s a full-circle moment.”

Last year, the NBA announced an 11-year broadcast deal with ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Amazon Prime Video that begins in 2025-26. TNT Sports, which had aired NBA games since 1989, lost its NBA rights in the new broadcast agreement.

NBC will begin airing the “Sunday Night Basketball” program on Feb. 1, the week before the network airs Super Bowl 60 to conclude the 2025 NFL season.

Maria Taylor & “Football Night In America” Return On Sept. 4

Maria Taylor (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for The Same House)
Taylor and her “Football Night in America” colleagues will return to the air on Sept. 4, when NBC broadcasts the Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles kickoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.

Play-by-play voice Mike Tirico and veteran analyst Cris Collinsworth will call the game between the two NFC East rivals as the Eagles look to kick off their Super Bowl defense on a strong note.

Social Media Is Sending Their Prayers To Clint Eastwood Today

Clint Eastwood (Photo By Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
Clint Eastwood turned 95 recently, but it hasn’t been an easy year for the legendary actor and director.

On Tuesday, fans across the country poured out messages of support as news spread about his recent struggles. Eastwood has been mourning the sudden death of his longtime partner, Christina Sandera, who passed away from a heart attack earlier this year.

The Hollywood icon has kept a low profile since her passing. For fans who’ve followed his career for decades, seeing Eastwood go through this personal loss has struck a chord. Though the actor has rarely been seen in public in recent months, his son Scott Eastwood shared a welcome update that gave many people a reason to breathe a little easier.

Fans Rally Behind Eastwood

Clint Eastwood and Christina Sandera (Photo Via Instagram/@clinteastwoodfans01)

Scott Eastwood, in a recent interview, reassured fans that his father is holding up. “He’s doing good,” he said. “He’s a survivor, a trouper. He was born coming out of the Great Depression, and then he was young during World War II. He saw a lot of struggle.” That perspective seems to be carrying Eastwood through yet another chapter of hardship.

Supporters didn’t hesitate to show their love. Social media lit up with tributes, memories, and heartfelt messages. Many highlighted not only his contributions to film but also his resilience as a person.

“There are literally hundreds of reasons why a man doesn’t get better with age,” one fan posted on X.

Another fan commented, “HE IS NEVER GONNA STOP!!!!”

Another fan chimed in, “I hope he blesses us with his presence for many more years!”

Photographs from December 2018 show Eastwood attending the premiere of The Mule with Sandera by his side. The two had been together for years, and her sudden loss clearly left a mark on him. Though the grief remains, Eastwood isn’t ready to slow down completely. In an interview with Kurier on May 30, he reflected on aging with intent. “There’s no reason why a man can’t get better with age,” he said. “And I have much more experience today. Sure, there are directors who lose their touch at a certain age, but I’m not one of them.”

Clint Eastwood, who has eight children- Laurie, Kimber, Alison, Francesca, Kyle, Kathryn, Scott and Morgan- continues to lean on family during this time. For fans, the hope is simple: that he keeps creating, keeps going, and, most of all, keeps finding strength in the days ahead.