Since CBS took over UEFA Champions League rights in 2020, Kate Abdo has been a big part of their soccer coverage. Abdo was their first hire for UEFA Champions League Today, and has been a key figure there since. And now, as she announced on-air (well, as panelist Micah Richards got her to announce on-air) following Saturday’s Champions League final, she’s signed a four-year extension that will see her work exclusively with CBS:
https://twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1667685820101455873
That clip’s very funny for the rest of the panel’s reactions, for Richards saying “You really thought you were going to go to the end of the show without me mentioning?” and Abdo responding “I was hoping!” Richards then says “Some of us have only got a year or two years left, and you’ve signed for how many years?”, and Abdo says “It pays to be good!”, cracking up the panel. Jamie Carragher then says “It pays to say Fox!” (referencing Abdo’s infamous on-air misidentification there). Abdo then responds “Listen, you could cut me now, and I would bleed CBS.” Richards then says “As soon as you got that check, you was good! Four more years!”
Abdo has done great work for CBS since 2020 (she’s seen above on their Champions League set that year), and for Turner on the Champions League before that, and for Fox at points as well (including at the 2022 FIFA World Cup). Last week, CBS Sports VP of production, senior creative director, and coordinating producer of soccer Pete Radovich said she was the crucial first piece of Champions League Today (which has drawn wide acclaim):
“When we first started, less than three years ago, I think I’ve said this publicly, but this is true. When I first heard that we had a chance of getting this, the next sentence out of my mouth was ‘We need to go get Kate Abdo.’ So Kate was quite literally Day 1 in the plans.”
And now Abdo will be sticking around with CBS for a further four years, and only working for them.
[CBS Sports Golazo on Twitter; photo from Luke Walker/Getty Images for CBS]
About Andrew Bucholtz
Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.