Maria Taylor, the well-known sportscaster, has made history as the first broadcaster to be stationed on the boat carrying the US team during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
Taylor, who joined NBC Sports in 2022, will be anchoring the network’s Late Night program during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Born on May 12, 1987, in Alpharetta, Georgia, Maria Taylor is a graduate of the University of Georgia.
She began her broadcasting career at ESPN before making the switch to NBC Sports, where she became the first female full-time host of Football Night.
Over the years, Taylor has covered a wide range of high-profile sporting events, including the NFL Draft, the NBA Finals, the Tokyo Olympics, Super Bowl LVI, and the Beijing Winter Olympics.
In addition to her coverage of major sporting events, Taylor is also involved in the production of an “eight-part television documentary series on the history of the Black quarterback in the NFL.”
Her talent and dedication to her craft have earned her recognition, with Adweek naming her one of the “Most Powerful Women in Sports” in 2021, and Time Magazine including her on the TIME100 Next list in the following year.
Despite facing challenges in her career, such as a reported contract dispute with ESPN in 2021, Maria Taylor has continued to excel in her role as a sports commentator.
Currently, she hosts two popular sports studio shows: Big Ten College Countdown and Football Night in America.
In her personal life, Maria Taylor went through a public split with her ex-husband, Rodney Blackstock, before marrying Jonathan Hemphill in 2019.
Taylor and Hemphill recently welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Roman Ryan Taylor Hemphill, in December 2023.
Taylor is gearing up to cover the Paris Olympics in 2024, she expressed her excitement to be a part of the prestigious event once again.
She will be hosting the NBC Late Night program, providing viewers with a unique perspective on the games from various locations around the city of Paris.
Taylor shared her enthusiasm for the opportunity, stating, “As host of the Late Night show, I’m excited to tell the best stories of the day while moving about the city and hosting from the venues, cafes, plazas, and famous landmarks of Paris, one of the world’s most inspirational cities.”
