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Sports commentator

Alternative titles for this job include Sports announcer, sports presenter, pundit

Sports commentators describe what's happening at sporting events to listeners and viewers and offer their opinions.

Average salary (a year)

£13,000 Starter

to

£80,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

39 to 41 variable

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays away from home

How to become a sports commentator

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • volunteering
  • applying directly

University

There is no set entry route to become a sports commentator but it may be useful to get a degree in a relevant subject like:

  • journalism
  • sports journalism
  • sports business and broadcasting

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

Apprenticeship

You can work towards this role by starting with an advanced apprenticeship as a junior journalist.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

More Information

Work

You could get started by working as a broadcast assistant in a television or radio company.

You'll need to work your way up from commentating at a local level and applying for promotion when you've got more experience.

You'll need to show employers that you have the sports knowledge and commentating skills that they're looking for.

Volunteering

You'll need to have some practical experience and be able to show you have a real enthusiasm for sports commentating.

To get some work experience you could:

  • volunteer to commentate on charity events like fun runs
  • commentate for amateur matches at schools, college or for local teams
  • record commentary for websites or internet radio stations
  • volunteer for community, hospital or student radio, or TV

You can get a list of radio stations from:

Large broadcasters like BBC Careers, ITV and Channel 4 offer work experience placements, insight and talent days.

The Sports Journalists Association has more ideas about where to look for work experience.

Direct Application

You can apply directly to employers if you've got some of the relevant skills and knowledge needed for this job. You'll usually need a background in sport or journalism.

As a sports professional, you may start off as a co-commentator or summariser, offering a specialist opinion on the action and tactical insights, before progressing to lead commentator.

More Information

Career tips

Competition for jobs is very strong and very few jobs are advertised. Building up a network of industry contacts can help you find out about vacancies.

You'll need to record examples of your commentating on CD, DVD or online so you can show your skills to potential employers.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Sports Journalists' Association for training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in sports commentating from The Pips and BBC Academy.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of media production and communication
  • knowledge of English language
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

Your duties may include:

  • preparing for an event by researching clubs or players
  • working with a production team
  • taking direction from a producer
  • interviewing sports professionals
  • commentating on events before, during and after the fixture
  • working with experts who give their opinion or statistics
  • updating your website, blog or social media feed

Working environment

You could work on a sports field, at a recording studio or at a sports arena.

Your working environment may be crowded, outdoors some of the time, noisy and you'll travel often.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a studio-based presenter, move into programme making and producing, management, or written sports reporting.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a sports commentator right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Are you interested in becoming a sports commentator?

Search for training courses near you.

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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