A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "color commentator" is primarily used in American English; the person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside of North America) or analyst (a term used throughout the English-speaking world).[1] The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the main commentator is not describing the action.[2] The color commentator provides expert analysis and background information, such as statistics, strategy, and injury reports on the teams and athletes, and occasionally anecdotes or light humor. Color commentators are often former athletes or coaches of the sport being broadcast.[3]
The term color refers to levity and insight provided by a secondary announcer. A sports color commentator customarily works alongside the play-by-play broadcaster.[4][5][6]
Canada and United States
Commentary teams typically feature one professional commentator describing the passage of play, and another, usually a former player or coach, providing supplementary input as the game progresses. Color commentators usually restrict their input to times that the ball or the puck is out of play, or there is no significant action on the field or the court. They usually defer to the main commentator when a shot on goal or another significant event occurs. That sometimes results in them being talked over or cut short by the primary commentator. Former players and managers also appear as pundits and carry out a similar role to that of the co-commentator during the pre-game show before a given contest and the post-game show after it.
In American motorsports coverage, there may be as many as two color commentators in the booth for a given broadcast.[7] A rules analyst, typically a former official, may comment on rules enforcement and replays.[8]
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the role of "color commentator" is largely unknown, and the equivalent role is usually called "summariser" but other terms used are "analyst", "pundit" or simply "co-commentator". Cricket coverage on ESPNcricinfo uses similar terminology.
Australia
The term is not used in Australia. Those giving the analysis alongside the main commentator are sometimes said to be giving additional or expert analysis, or "special comments", or they may be referred to as "expert commentators".
Latin America
For soccer broadcasts on Latin American sports television channels, such a commentator is called a comentarista in both Spanish and Portuguese and contrasts with the narrador, locutor (Spanish) or relator (Portuguese) who leads the transmission. The term "color is not used or translated.
References
- ^ "Color commentator | Define Color commentator at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved .
- ^ "What Is a Color Commentator? | Chron.com". Work.chron.com. 2010-11-29. Retrieved .
- ^ "Announcers : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics". Bls.gov. 2014-01-08. Retrieved .
- ^ "Color Commentary and Play by Play: A Well-Rounded Approach to Facebook". Inkling Media. 2012-05-02. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved .
- ^ "The Sportscaster: A Brief History & Job Description". Americansportscastersonline.com. 2014-01-07. Retrieved .
- ^ "The Top Three Keys For Becoming a Color Commentator | Sportsideo.com member John Lund". Sportsideo.com. 2012-11-27. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved .
- ^ Kedzie, Julie (2013-07-18). "Julie Kedzie Breaks Down the Art of MMA Color Commentary | FIGHTLAND". Fightland.vice.com. Retrieved .
- ^ McCarthy, Michael (2016-09-06). "Fox NFL rules analyst Mike Pereira is lethal 'weapon' rival networks don't have". Sporting News. Retrieved .
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