NBC’s decision to resurrect the voice of deceased sportscaster Jim Fagan using AI for its upcoming NBA coverage marks a significant advancement in synthetic media use in mainstream broadcasting. By digitally recreating the voice of a beloved narrator who died in 2017, NBC is blending nostalgia with cutting-edge technology to enhance its basketball programming. This development highlights the growing trend of posthumous digital recreations in entertainment and raises important questions about the future relationship between AI-generated content and traditional media production.
The big picture: NBC will use an AI-generated version of Jim Fagan’s voice across selected NBA content beginning October 2025, with permission from his family.
- Fagan was the iconic voice behind NBC’s NBA coverage from 1990 to 2002, known particularly for his “NBA on NBC” promos and narration for basketball superstars like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal.
- The network has already released its first promo featuring the AI-recreated voice, demonstrating how technology can now convincingly replicate distinctive vocal performances.
What they’re saying: NBC Sports executives frame the AI voice recreation as a tribute to Fagan’s legacy in sports broadcasting.
- “His voice perfectly captured the magnitude of the heavyweight matchups and stars that he was introducing,” NBC Sports president Rick Cordella said in the press release. “It’s been a joy to work with Jim’s family to recreate his voice and honor his legacy.”
Between the lines: This application represents an escalation of NBC’s experimentation with AI-generated voice technology in sports broadcasting.
- The network previously implemented AI voiceovers during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where it offered personalized recaps using an AI-generated version of sportscaster Al Michaels’ voice.
The bottom line: NBC clarifies that Fagan’s AI voice will “supplement traditional voiceover work by other artists,” suggesting the network is positioning synthetic media as a complement to rather than replacement for human narrators.
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