James Brown Biography

James Brown is an American sportscaster best known for being the studio host of The James Brown Show, The NFL Today on CBS Sports, and Thursday Night Football on CBS Sports and NFL Network. J.B. is also a Special Correspondent for CBS News. He is also known for serving as the former host of Fox Sports NFL pregame show Fox NFL Sunday for eleven years.

James Brown Age

Brown was born James Talmadge Brown on February 25, 1951, in Washington, D.C., United States. He is 73 years old.

James Brown Height

Brown stands at a height of 6 feet 5 inches tall.

James Brown Family

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Brown is the son of Maryann Brown and John Brown. It is however not known if he has any siblings since he has not publically talked about it.

James Brown Wife / James Brown Sportscaster Wife

Brown is married to Dorothy Brown and together they are blessed with a daughter named Katrina. He resides outside of Washington, D.C. in Bethesda, Maryland, his town of birth together with his family. Brown has three granddaughters and one grandson, born to his daughter, Katrina, and her husband John.

James Brown Religion

Brown is a Christian. He has spoken about his faith in his life by saying, “Everything that I do revolves around Jesus Christ being Lord and Savior of my life.”

James Brown Salary

Brown earns an annual salary ranging from $ 20,000 – $ 120,000.

James Brown Sportscaster Net Worth

Brown has an estimated net worth of $10 million which he has earned through his successful career as a sportscaster.

James Brown Education

Brown attended and graduated from high school at DeMatha Catholic High School. He then attended Harvard University and graduated with a degree in American Government. A standout on the basketball court, Brown received All-Ivy League honors in his last three seasons at Harvard University and captained the team in his senior year.

James Brown CBS (1970s–1994)

After failing to make a roster spot when Brown tried out for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks in the mid-1970s, he entered the corporate world, working for such companies as Xerox and Eastman Kodak.

He went into sports broadcasting in 1984 when he was offered a job doing Washington Bullets television broadcasts as well as an analyst job for The NBA on CBS, paired with Frank Glieber. Brown later moved on to an anchor position at WDVM-TV (later WUSA) in Washington and to some work at CBS Sports.

In 1987, Brown was rehired by CBS Sports where he served as play-by-play announcer for the network’s NFL and college basketball coverage, as well as a reporter for the NBA Finals (calling games with Tom Heinsohn during the 1990 NBA Playoffs) and the 1990 National League Championship Series.

Brown also was the host of the afternoon show from the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, and the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. While at CBS he also was co-host of CBS Sports Saturday/Sunday, a weekend anthology series.

James Brown Fox, and back to CBS (1994–present)

In 1994, he accepted the position of host of the NFL on Fox pregame show. He shared the set with former football players Howie Long and Terry Bradshaw and former coach Jimmy Johnson. Ronnie Lott and Cris Collinsworth have also appeared on the program during Brown’s time there.

From 1994–1998, James Brown was the lead studio host for FOX NHL Saturday. Brown appeared in a similar capacity in the EA Sports video game NHL ’97, which used full-motion video. His voice appeared in Madden NFL 2001. Following the 2005 NFL season, Brown left Fox in order to rejoin CBS Sports. He cited a desire to remain closer to his home in Washington, D.C., an opportunity that existed at CBS, which broadcasts The NFL Today out of New York City. Fox NFL Sunday is produced in Los Angeles.

In 2007, Brown was removed from college basketball coverage for CBS after a one-year stint. However, Brown still hosts the college basketball pregame, halftime, and postgame in the CBS studios in New York City while Greg Gumbel, the main host, is on assignment. In 2012, following the murder-suicide by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher of his girlfriend, James Brown opined on The NFL Today about the role men needed to take in the fight against domestic violence. Brown accused the league’s players of letting the NFL’s reputation for domestic violence go unchanged.

On September 11, 2014, in the wake of the Ray Rice domestic violence controversy, he again addressed the issue, wondering why in the two years since nothing had been done to change the problem, and how the problem had actually become worse.

James Brown Career

Brown has also hosted Coast to Coast (a syndicated radio show formerly hosted by Bob Costas), The World’s Funniest! (the Fox network’s counterpart of America’s Funniest Home Videos), and served as a correspondent for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. He appeared on an episode of Married… with Children on a November 24, 1996 episode titled “A Bundy Thanksgiving”.

Aside from his Showtime and CBS duties, he hosted a weekday radio sports talk show that aired weekdays on Sporting News Radio for several years. He left the network in April 2006. Brown has since, returned to Sporting News Radio with Arnie Spanier. He regularly appeared on the syndicated radio program, The Don and Mike Show. In March 2009, he was named the Community Ambassador for AARP. On August 10, 2009, James Brown interviewed NFL quarterback Michael Vick for a segment that aired on 60 Minutes on Aug. 16.

On March 24, 2013, he reported on Brian Banks in a segment titled “Blindsided: The Exoneration of Brian Banks” on 60 Minutes. He appeared onstage with co-CEO of SAP, Bill McDermott on May 14, 2013, for Bill’s keynote speech at SAPPHIRE NOW from Orlando.

On February 14, July 28-August 1, 2014, December 22–23, 2014, and November 23, 2018, Brown hosted the CBS Evening News covering for Scott Pelley and later Jeff Glor. He has also contributed to CBS This Morning, as well as CBS Sunday Morning. On October 30, 2016, he made a guest appearance on CBS’ political drama series Madam Secretary.

James Brown Career Timeline

• 1984–1985: NBA on CBS – Color Commentator
• 1984–1986: College Basketball on CBS – Color Commentator
• 1987–1990: NBA on CBS – Sideline reporter
• 1987–1993: NFL on CBS – Play-by-play
• 1989–1990: NBA on CBS – Play-by-play
• 1990–1993, 2007: College Basketball on CBS – Play-by-play
• 1990: Major League Baseball on CBS – Sideline reporter
• 1994–2005: Fox NFL Sunday – Host
• 1994–1998: NHL on Fox – Studio host
• 2006–present: The NFL Today – Host
• 2008–present: Inside the NFL – Host
• 2014–present: CBS Evening News – Substitute anchor
• 2017–present: The James Brown Show – host