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Cari Champion

Cari Champion is an American broadcast journalist and television personality who became the first Black woman to host ESPN2’s First Take. She currently hosts The Cari Champion Show on Amazon Prime Video Sports Talk and her own interview podcast, Naked Sports with Cari Champion. A UCLA graduate, she has also been a regular contributor to CNN and was honored on Ebony’s Power 100 list.

Overview

Cari Champion's Profile

Cari Champion was born in Pasadena, California. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where she majored in English and minored in mass communications. She also wrote for the campus newspaper, the Daily Bruin. Champion began her broadcasting career at the Orange County News Channel before moving to WPTV-TV in West Palm Beach, Florida, and later WGCL-TV in Atlanta.

In 2012, she joined ESPN as host of First Take, becoming the first Black woman to host the show. She then moved to SportsCenter anchor in 2014, and later hosted SportsNation, making history again as one of the first Black women to anchor the program. She departed ESPN in February 2020 after nearly eight years.

After leaving ESPN, she co-hosted Cari & Jemele (Won’t) Stick to Sports with Jemele Hill on Vice TV. She launched The Cari Champion Show on Amazon Prime Video Sports Talk and her interview podcast, Naked with Cari Champion, where she explores life-altering moments with prominent guests. She also founded Brown Girls Dream, a mentorship network for women of color in media, and serves as a regular CNN contributor.

Quick Facts

  • Full Name: Cari Champion
  • Gender: Female
  • Date of Birth: 1978-06-01
  • Nationality: American
  • Ethnicity: African American, Black
  • Sexual Orientation: Not publicly disclosed
  • Marital Status: Undisclosed
  • Career Start: 2002
  • Current Network:
  • Years Active
  • Estimated Salary: $1 million

3
TV Shows

0
Current Hosts

20
Years Active

50
Awards Won

TV Shows​

A list of television shows hosted by this host, including current programs and previous presenting roles.

SportsNation
First Take on ESPN
First Take
ESPN's SportsCentre
SportsCenter

Networks

A list of Networks that this host has worked for.

Personal Life

Family, relationships and background

      Education

      Educational background and qualifications

      • Bachelor's degree in English (minor in Mass Communications) from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

      Net Worth & Income

      Income sources, net worth, and properties.

      • Salary from her Amazon Prime Video Sports Talk hosting role (The Cari Champion Show) and CNN contributor role.
      • Prior income earned from her tenure at ESPN, which included hosting First Take, SportsCenter, and SportsNation.
      • Additional income from public speaking engagements (represented by AAE Speakers Bureau and Harry Walker Agency).

      Awards

      Awards & recognition

      • The WEEN Awards - Sports Leadership Award (2015)
      • Ebony Power 100 Gala - Power 100 List Honoree (2017)
      • ESSENCE Black Women in Sports - Inaugural Brunch & Honors Recipient (2022)