How to become a TV Anchor on a Sports Network

I actually was not that interested in this growing up as I preferred to be actually playing in the sport (basketball in my case). But, as you get older, it does sound like a pretty solid gig. It seems fun and almost a hobby and people make a career and lots of money out of it.

I guess the first thing really is getting your foot in the door. Most TV anchors have had some sort of experience at smaller market networks before landing something big at ESPN or Fox Sports. Add as much experience as possible in the field. Starting small is really the key in this industry unlike something like investment banking where it is becoming common for a junior at an Ivy League college to already have a summer internship at J.P Morgan.

Look at radio stations and news channels in your area to complete an internship. Sometimes experiences in even the print media like your college newspaper can come in handy and you don’t always have to start out in front of a camera or microphone.

A college degree is also something that most TV anchors seem to have and a lot of jobs in broadcasting require a bachelor's degree. I know I felt that getting a degree in journalism or communications was a bad idea, but it seems to be the conventional route to breaking into broadcasting. An internship experience during college will enable you to gain much needed experience and valuable contacts in the industry.

Speaking about contacts in the sports industry, sometimes less is actually more here. So don’t be in a big hurry to go to every single event or meet everybody, but take a more selective approach. Always look to take a long-term approach. For instance, if you want to work for ESPN a year from now, then start building relationships right now to take advantage in a year’s time.