Maria Taylor Heads To NBC For Olympics Following ESPN Drama

Maria Taylor didn’t waste any time leaving ESPN following the controversy surrounding her and her coworker, Rachel Nichols.

Source: Lance King / Getty

Following her exit from ESPN, Maria Taylor is headed to NBC for Olympic coverage, according to reports from The Post.

This news comes just a few weeks after the existence of a year-old private recording of leaked comments was reported by the New York Times, in which fellow NBA host/reporter Rachel Nichols claimed ESPN gave Taylor the 2020 Finals hosting gig to make up for what she described as the network’s “crappy longtime record on diversity.”

Because of all the backlash that came with this story, Nichols didn’t get the job hosting Finals coverage this year, either. Funny how that works.

As for her move to NBC, Taylor is expected to be part of its forthcoming Olympic coverage that begins in earnest Friday.

After news broke that ESPN and Taylor were unable to reach a new contract agreement, network chairman Jimmy Pitaro and Taylor released a joint statement.

Pitaro said, “there is no doubt we will miss Maria,” adding, “While she chose to pursue a new opportunity, we are proud of the work we’ve done together.”

Taylor said she was “so thankful to Jimmy and all of my great teammates.”

With her move to NBC, Taylor could also be waiting in the on-deck circle to become the host of Football Night in America, when Mike Tirico moves to the full-time Sunday Night Football play-by-play position in the fall of next year. While it is not fully set that she will replace Tirico, it could be a potential fit, according to The Post.

Make those money moves, Maria. We love to see it!