NFL Films’ long-running series, Inside the NFL, has found a new home at The CW after being on HBO, Showtime, and Paramount+.
However, with this move, The CW was in need of a new cast. ESPN’s Ryan Clark will be hosting Inside the NFL in 2023, alongside analysts Channing Crowder, Jay Cutler, Chad Johnson, and Chris Long.
The CW reportedly wanted to recruit some other analysts for the show but was blocked from doing so by Fox.
According to Andrew Marchand of The New York Post, both Greg Olsen and Mark Ingram II were potential candidates for Inside the NFL at The CW, but Fox was not keen on sharing their talents with other networks.
ESPN had no problem allowing Clark to host The CW’s version of Inside the NFL, even though he recently expanded his role on the network.
Clark will be featured on Monday Night Countdown every week, while also making daily appearances on NFL Live.
On the other hand, Fox Sports executives didn’t see it in the same light as ESPN.
As Marchand reported, Fox is paying their top guys a lot of money, so they don’t feel the need to share them.
Olsen, who is part of Fox’s No. 1 announcing team alongside Kevin Burkhardt, will continue to stay with the network for now.
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Fox and Tom Brady agreed to a $375 million contract in 2022 to be the network’s top analyst after he retires.
While pushing his Fox debut off until 2024 didn’t do much to quiet the skepticism, on the season premiere of his Let’s Go podcast for SiriusXM, Brady reiterated that Fox remains in his plans.
Meanwhile, Olsen said that Fox has yet to inform him of its plans for 2024 and beyond.
Ingram, on the other hand, is the newest member of Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff, replacing Reggie Bush in his current capacity.
In the first few weeks of the 2023 college football season, Ingram made a horseback entrance for his Big Noon Kickoff debut, was surprised by his former head coach Nick Saban, truck stuck a YouTuber, and was almost convinced to eat Rocky Mountain Oysters live on set.
It’s been an eventful season for Ingram, and it certainly seems like it will be one for Olsen too.
While it’s somewhat understandable why Fox would block both Olsen and Ingram from appearing on another network, it is a bit ironic that it’s now Fox blocking talent from outside appearances.
ESPN used to take fire for that, even over spots on competitors’ radio shows but reversed that policy in 2021 after Pat McAfee aired his grievances.
