Jon Champion

Jonathan Martin Champion (born 23 May 1965) is a British sports commentator currently working for ESPN and BT Sport. Champion is a well-established and experienced commentator who has also worked for the BBC and ITV over the last 20 years.[2] Champion currently covers international football and Major League Soccer for ESPN. His broadcast partner for international matches is Stewart Robson, while he works with Taylor Twellman for MLS. His late father David Champion was the deputy headmaster of the independent school Bootham School, York. Jon's commentaries can also be heard on the worldwide feed of many Premier League and League Cup matches around the globe.

Jon Champion
Champion before a match for ABC/ESPN
Born
Jonathan Martin Champion

(1965-05-23) 23 May 1965
Harrogate, England
NationalityBritish
EducationArchbishop Holgate Grammar School, York, University of Leeds (Trinity & All Saints College)[1] (1988)
OccupationJournalist,
Television sports commentator,
Pro Evolution Soccer commentator

Early life

Jonathan Martin Champion[3] was born on 23 May 1965[4] in Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire.[5]

BBC Sport

Champion joined BBC Sport in the late 1980s and worked as a football commentator on BBC Radio Five Live between 1992 and 1996. He worked alongside Alan Green, Mike Ingham, Ron Jones, Rob Hawthorne and Jonathan Legard covering Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Football League matches for the network. During this time Champion commentated on the 1994 and 1996 Division One Play-Off Finals, and the 1996 UEFA Champions League Final between Juventus and Ajax. His fellow commentator on that evening was future ITV colleague Peter Drury.

In 1995 an opportunity arose to further Champion's career at the BBC. John Motson took a three-month break from his role as a commentator on Match of the Day, allowing Champion to be drafted in to cover. Champion spent the whole of the 1995–1996 season combining his Five Live duties with appearances as a commentator on Match of the Day. He was successful enough to move across to TV permanently the following season, after Clive Tyldesley left the BBC and rejoined ITV.

Champion spent five seasons between 1996 and 2001 as a full-time member of the BBC's commentary team, covering edited highlights of the Premier League and the FA Cup, in addition to occasional matches from the UEFA Cup. At the 1998 World Cup, Champion commentated on highlights of England's 2nd Round exit at the hands of Argentina.

ITV Sport

In the summer of 2000 ITV surprised the BBC with a successful bid for Premier League highlights. This kicked in from 2001, and left the BBC without any regular week-by-week football. Champion therefore moved to join ITV in 2001, and was a regular part of ITV's commentary team for the Premier League, League Cup, Football League and the UEFA Champions League.

Setanta and ESPN

In 2007, ambitious new-boys Setanta Sports UK signed up Champion as their number one FA Premier League commentator. Champion remained contracted to ITV, but was loaned out to Setanta. For two seasons he thus managed to combine his ITV duties with 'live' matches on Setanta. During the 2008–09 season, Champion was increasingly heard more on Setanta who had also secured rights to the FA Cup. In May 2009, Champion commentated on his first FA Cup Final.

Within a month, Setanta had gone into administration and were forced to relinquish their football rights. These were scooped up by the Disney-owned sports broadcaster ESPN, who rapidly established a brand new sports channel ESPN UK for the UK and Ireland and starting broadcasting Premier League football in August 2009. Champion was the natural choice as their number one commentator, and moved across from ITV permanently. However Champion was loaned back to ITV for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, working alongside his ESPN colleague Craig Burley. As well as being ESPN's lead Premier League commentator, Champion also commentates on the Europa League and the FA Cup. On 14 May 2011 he commentated alongside Chris Waddle on the FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Stoke City. In 2012, he was a commentator for ITV's coverage of Euro 2012 usually alongside Craig Burley. Champion then was loaned back to ESPN for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2016 alongside former footballer Stewart Robson. Champion now part-time commentates for U.S. soccer men's friendlies alongside Kasey Keller when #1 commentator Ian Darke is not available. Champion returned to ITV for the 2018 FIFA World Cup where he paired with Ally McCoist. For the 2019 Major League Soccer season, Champion was named MLS on ESPN lead play-by-play commentator. In December 2019, Champion was part of a team of commentators for Prime Video Sport's UK Premier League coverage where he paired with his ITV co-comm Ally McCoist.

TV credits
  • FA Cup Finals: 2009 (Setanta), 2011, 2012 and 2013 (ESPN),
  • League Cup Finals: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 (all ITV)
  • Championship Play Off Final: 2005, 2009 (both ITV)
  • FIFA World Cup: 2006 (ITV), 2010 (ITV), 2014 (ABC/ESPN), 2018 (ITV)
  • USMNT Friendlies: 2014–present (ESPN)
  • Premier League: 2007-2009 (Setanta), 2009-2013 (ESPN), 2013-2019 (Premier League Productions), 2019-present (Prime Video UK)
  • UEFA Champions League: 2001-2009 (ITV Sport), 2015-present (BT Sport)
  • UEFA Europa League: 2009–present (ESPN/BT Sport)
  • UEFA European Championship: 2012 (ITV), 2016 (ESPN)
  • UEFA Nations League: 2018–present (ESPN)
  • MLS: 2019–present (ABC/ESPN)

Other media

He was the commentator for the first time in the Pro Evolution Soccer series from Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 to Pro Evolution Soccer 2015. He worked alongside with analyst and former Irish international Mark Lawrenson from Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 to Pro Evolution Soccer 2010. From Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 to Pro Evolution Soccer 2015, he worked together with analyst from ITV, Jim Beglin. He was then replaced by Peter Drury as the commentator for Pro Evolution Soccer 2016.

World Cup

Champion was selected as a commentator for ITV at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. For the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil he commentated for ESPN's coverage in the U.S. During the 2018 tournament Champion was praised for his commentary partnership with Ally McCoist.

Personal life

Champion is a supporter of York City F.C.[6]

gollark: What? We have computers with less which multitask fine.
gollark: Why doesn't it show the date?
gollark: Probably your server. It's capable of multitasking to some extent.
gollark: !time
gollark: Oh right, yes, it is.

References
  1. "Leeds Trinity University – Notable Alumni and Famous Faces". Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  2. He has commentated on four FA Cup Finals and six League Cup Finals, as well as numerous games across the Premier League, Champions League and Football League. Gibson, Owen (31 July 2009). "Familiar faces drive ESPN's kick-off on UK screen". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  3. "Jonathan Martin Champion". Companies House. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  4. "Jon Champion". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  5. Lewis, Stephen (8 May 2009). "Capital gains". The Press. York. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  6. Flett, Dave (2 July 2008). "Donations safeguard City's youth team". The Press. York. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
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