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The Nitty Gritty

LA Kings Announce Changes To Broadcast Format

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Some Monday-morning news, Insiders.

The LA Kings have made an announcement regarding their television and radio broadcasting moving forward, beginning with the 2023-24 season. The Kings announced today that the organization will transition to a singular, broadcast team across both television and radio, starting in the fall. The team did not release any details regarding their television broadcast partner for the 2023-24 season, which will be expected to come later this summer. The Kings did, however, announce that their broadcast team moving forward will consist of Nick Nickson as the play-by-play announcer, with Jim Fox as the analyst. Daryl Evans will also be a part of the broadcast team moving forward as an “on-air personality”. As a part of the news, the Kings made the decision that Alex Faust’s contract, which expires on June 30, will not be renewed for the coming season.

On that front, the Kings will move forward with three, long-standing members of their broadcast team. Nickson has been a part of the Kings organization since 1981, when he moved up to the NHL from the AHL’s New Haven Nighthawks. Nickson has worked in both a color commentary and radio capacity, on both television and radio, and will handle both calls moving forward. Fox and Evans are both Kings alumni and longstanding broadcasters with the organization. After Fox’s playing career ended, he transitioned to a broadcast role as an analyst, replacing Nickson as he moved to radio, and he’s held the position ever since. Evans has been Nickson’s primary broadcast partner since 1998 and will remain as a part of the broadcast crew moving forward. From a consistency standpoint, hard to get much more than Nickson, Fox and Evans.

Regarding Alex, tough news on a personal note without a doubt. I first worked with Alex in 2014 in the AHL with the Utica Comets, where we became friends, and stayed in touch through his hiring in Los Angeles in 2017 and my own with the Ontario Reign in 2018. I rarely had the chance to listen to the Kings broadcast on Bally Sports West, being physically at the games, but listening to his national calls around the NHL, Alex is a terrifically talented broadcaster who has a seat at the table with NHL and MLB games moving forward. Personally, wishing Alex the best of luck as a good dude within the industry. Whatever his next steps are

Regarding where exactly the games will be aired moving forward, that information was not a part of today’s announcement. We’ll look for that information as we move throughout the summer.

CLUB STATEMENT
The LA Kings sincerely thank Alex Faust for representing the organization and our community with dignity and class over the last six years. Alex is an extremely talented and passionate broadcaster with a bright future in the NHL and sports on the whole. We wish him the utmost success in the years ahead.

We welcome Nick Nickson and Daryl Evans to their latest roles and look forward to their continued contributions and expertise. Along with Jim Fox, the veteran trio will form the core of an experienced and formidable broadcast team that will serve our audience well.

The organization currently has no information on a future rightsholder partnership or distribution agreement. Additional broadcast details will be announced prior to the 2023-24 NHL season.

From the team’s official statement –

Due to current and ever-changing dynamics surrounding the broadcasting landscape, the LA Kings will transition to a singular broadcast team across television and radio beginning with the 2023-24 season.

Nick Nickson will serve as club play-by-play announcer alongside Jim Fox as analyst. They will be joined by Daryl Evans as an on-air personality for the simulcast. Additional roles will be announced at a later date.

As a result of this new strategy and structure, the organization has informed Alex Faust that unfortunately his contract as television play-by-play announcer will not be renewed. It is set to expire on June 30, 2023.

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