NBC Sports host and broadcaster Maria Taylor has opened up about her challenging exit from ESPN in a recent TikTok post, offering new insight into the difficult decision to leave her former employer. Taylor, who worked at ESPN from 2013 to 2021, made her return to the network recently when she appeared as a guest on the ‘Manningcast,’ the alternate telecast of Monday Night Football.
Reflecting on the experience, Taylor shared her thoughts in a candid ‘get ready with me’ style video on Tuesday.
“So last night I was on my former employer’s network, let’s talk about it,” Taylor began, adding that working at ESPN had been her “dream job” while she was a college student at the University of Georgia. She went on to describe her journey at ESPN, which spanned nearly a decade.
“I worked for 10 years at ESPN and loved my time there, but the ending came a little tumultuously,” she admitted.
The departure followed a public controversy involving her then-colleague Rachel Nichols, who was heard making disparaging comments about Taylor in a leaked audio recording. Nichols implied that Taylor’s opportunity to host NBA Countdown was due to diversity efforts rather than her talent, a remark that caused an uproar. Shortly after the audio leak surfaced in July 2021, Taylor officially joined NBC Sports later that month.
In her video, Taylor elaborated on how the controversy impacted her perspective. “I had the opportunity to really decide what I wanted to do for my life moving forward and whether where I was was the best place for me. And as we all know, it’s hard to go through change,” she said.
Taylor explained that despite the uncertainty, she felt it was the right time for a change. “I knew in my heart of hearts that it was time,” she said. “I honestly just needed more opportunities to spend time with my family, to start a family. At the level I was going and the work that I was doing, I didn’t think I would have the time.”
“I still wanted to work at a very high level, but I just wanted to focus on very important quality events,” Taylor continued. “And I also felt like the relationship had run its course.”
Taylor shared an interesting anecdote about her decision-making process, recounting a conversation she had before leaving ESPN. “It’s so funny because when I was making my final decision, someone tried to make the case that, ‘Well, if you leave here, then you’ll never ever be on television again—like no one will ever see you again,'” she recalled.
“And I remember thinking, ‘The ways in which I don’t care whether or not anyone ever sees me again’—as long as I see checks clearing into my bank account. And at that moment, I knew I was ready for something else.”
Taylor also spoke about her desire for a new challenge, admitting that she had started to feel worn out by the routine at ESPN. “To be honest, I also kind of felt like it was just time for a brand-new challenge,” she said. “I was getting a little worn out of the same things, and I just wanted to try something new.”
In July 2021, just days after her ESPN contract expired, Taylor joined NBC Sports in time for their coverage of the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Reflecting on that experience, she shared how overwhelming the transition felt.
“I’m going to be completely and totally honest: I cried,” Taylor admitted. “I cried for two straight weeks while I was in Tokyo covering the Olympics because I literally flew from the NBA Finals to Tokyo, and I thought to myself, ‘What have I done? What am I doing here? I don’t know anyone here. It’s COVID.’ I was so sad. But to be honest, I was grieving something.”
She explained that she was grieving the loss of her dream job, or at least the idea she had of it. “I was grieving the idea of what I had for my dream job—and my dream had changed. So I was walking into realizing what the new life would look like, and that took about two weeks,” she said.
Despite the initial challenges, Taylor is grateful for her journey and the growth that came from making a difficult decision. “I’m thankful for maturing and feeling capable and strong enough to walk away and realizing that four letters don’t define me, three letters don’t define me, my job doesn’t define me,” she said. “I get to define who I am and who I want to be in this world, and if that means I’m changing careers and locations, it means absolutely nothing—and it’s nobody’s business.”
Taylor concluded her video with a message about embracing change. The video was captioned, “Let’s talk about change. Just choose you and let it be.”
During her time at ESPN, Maria Taylor made her mark as a college football sideline reporter and later became the host for NBA Countdown, the network’s pre-game show for professional basketball.
Her departure from ESPN was undoubtedly challenging, but her resilience and ability to navigate change have led her to new opportunities at NBC Sports, where she continues to thrive.
