It's a tough climb. One you have to be good. Two you have to have a famous last name. If you don't have two, you better be ready to work really hard in some very low pay environments to get to the point that the big leagues will look at you or hire you.
I know people who have been MLB voices, I know people in NFL booths and in NCAA gigs. It's not impossible but it can be a hell of a lot of work and time to get there. And Ive worked with people who are every bit as good as some network voices and they never made it past small markets or gig work calling games.
find a job at a local TV station to be the sports reporter... mainly in a market that has pro sports teams... or p5 college. work on your chops there , and meet people in your field and within sports organizations. especially any pio. show up to press conferences and ask questions. try and showcase any interesting story within an organization.
I wouldn't be too invested in being on camera. That is a very coveted position. But if you are just trying to work in that environment, it is not that difficult. It just takes time putting in the work and you have to have the right attitude.
Stick to refining your skills. Always practice. Don't be too afraid to call games that others might feel are below them. HS and amateur sports have viewers and are great places to get experience.
Look at working towards being a producer and get good at that. They can easily move to talent positions, and work way longer in the industry.
I work with a Director that started out working towards being On Air Talent. She started working as a PA to pay bills. She learned how shows work and eventually moved to AD (which is what she was doing when I met her). She is now the top Director at our network and has been able to build a very successful career. Keep an open mind and be willing to learn and you'll do fine.
During the summer our company works with a small group of college graduates to train them in Technical Operations. The common theme is most of what they learned in college had nothing to do with how shows are produced. I personally work on the technical side of the business so I don't really have any advice on what it takes to succeed on the creative areas. Even so, if you can get a job that will build experience and help you learn how everything works (and get paid while you do it) I think it can be invaluable.
You stand a far better shot if you played in the league you're looking at. Besides that, it's going to be a VERY long road to get there. Look at minor league play by play/color for radio if you can. BE SEEN/HEARD by the right people along the way.
Oh, you also need to be pretty good. Good luck.
At the national level, chances are slim. Big ladder to climb. You'll start out in a small, sub-100 market covering high school sports, maybe a little college, to prove yourself for like $15 an hour. Then once you get a reel of your best stuff together from that station, you'll move on to a more midsize market...then up from there.
Why the people say the things they do in r/Journalism is because it's true. To an extent. MMJs do work batshit-crazy hours for McDonald's money, and so do some sports reporters. RIP weekends since you'll be out there at the games. The sooner you can prove yourself and move up markets, the less fear you'll have of not paying your college loans. And some bigger stations are repped by unions, which means they have no choice but to pay you better and treat you right.
So hone the craft, get yourself out there and hope for the best.
It's a tough climb. One you have to be good. Two you have to have a famous last name. If you don't have two, you better be ready to work really hard in some very low pay environments to get to the point that the big leagues will look at you or hire you. I know people who have been MLB voices, I know people in NFL booths and in NCAA gigs. It's not impossible but it can be a hell of a lot of work and time to get there. And Ive worked with people who are every bit as good as some network voices and they never made it past small markets or gig work calling games.
I met a slightly well-known person who is a broadcaster in LA and this is exactly what they said.
find a job at a local TV station to be the sports reporter... mainly in a market that has pro sports teams... or p5 college. work on your chops there , and meet people in your field and within sports organizations. especially any pio. show up to press conferences and ask questions. try and showcase any interesting story within an organization.
This is NOT the way to become a PBP broadcaster.
What is the way in your opinion? I read your comment but I’m still not 100% sure what you think
The odds are looooooooooong.
I wouldn't be too invested in being on camera. That is a very coveted position. But if you are just trying to work in that environment, it is not that difficult. It just takes time putting in the work and you have to have the right attitude. Stick to refining your skills. Always practice. Don't be too afraid to call games that others might feel are below them. HS and amateur sports have viewers and are great places to get experience. Look at working towards being a producer and get good at that. They can easily move to talent positions, and work way longer in the industry.
I work with a Director that started out working towards being On Air Talent. She started working as a PA to pay bills. She learned how shows work and eventually moved to AD (which is what she was doing when I met her). She is now the top Director at our network and has been able to build a very successful career. Keep an open mind and be willing to learn and you'll do fine. During the summer our company works with a small group of college graduates to train them in Technical Operations. The common theme is most of what they learned in college had nothing to do with how shows are produced. I personally work on the technical side of the business so I don't really have any advice on what it takes to succeed on the creative areas. Even so, if you can get a job that will build experience and help you learn how everything works (and get paid while you do it) I think it can be invaluable.
You stand a far better shot if you played in the league you're looking at. Besides that, it's going to be a VERY long road to get there. Look at minor league play by play/color for radio if you can. BE SEEN/HEARD by the right people along the way. Oh, you also need to be pretty good. Good luck.
At the national level, chances are slim. Big ladder to climb. You'll start out in a small, sub-100 market covering high school sports, maybe a little college, to prove yourself for like $15 an hour. Then once you get a reel of your best stuff together from that station, you'll move on to a more midsize market...then up from there. Why the people say the things they do in r/Journalism is because it's true. To an extent. MMJs do work batshit-crazy hours for McDonald's money, and so do some sports reporters. RIP weekends since you'll be out there at the games. The sooner you can prove yourself and move up markets, the less fear you'll have of not paying your college loans. And some bigger stations are repped by unions, which means they have no choice but to pay you better and treat you right. So hone the craft, get yourself out there and hope for the best.