NBC has announced that its forthcoming NBA broadcasts will feature the AI-generated voice of Jim Fagan, a respected sports narrator who passed away in 2017. This announcement was made on Tuesday, detailing that Fagan’s synthetic voice will be integrated into select title sequences, show openings, and promotional materials when the network resumes its NBA coverage in October.
Fagan’s voice was a staple in NBC’s NBA programming from 1990 to 2002, best known for the iconic "NBA on NBC" promos. He also narrated highlight reels and promotional content for some of the league’s most prominent athletes, including Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Hakeem Olajuwon.
With the approval of Fagan’s family, NBC has utilized AI technology to recreate his distinctive voice. The network has already released its first promo featuring this AI-generated narration, which can be seen in the video below.
“His voice perfectly encapsulated the excitement of the intense matchups and the stars he was introducing,” said Rick Cordella, president of NBC Sports, in the press release. “It has been a pleasure collaborating with Jim’s family to honor his legacy through this voice recreation.” NBC indicates that Fagan’s AI voice will complement traditional voiceover work performed by other artists.
Disclosure: Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, is also an investor in Vox Media, the parent company of The Verge.
