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A color (or colour) commentator, sometimes known as a color analyst, is a member of the broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the play-by-play announcer by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color commentator provides expert analysis and background information, such as statistics, strategy and injury reports, on the teams and athletes, and occasionally light humor. Color commentators are usually people who used to play and/or coach the sport that they broadcast.

In the United Kingdom the terminology is different: a play-by-play announcer is called a commentator. The role of color commentator is not so clearly defined, but the term summariser is sometimes used and former players often appear as pundits, filling a similar role. In Germany, most soccer matches feature just a single play-by-play announcer, without a color commentator.

Examples of the more well-known color commentators in their respective sports include:

American Football

Baseball

Basketball

Curling

Ice Hockey

Professional Wrestling

Color Commentator in wrestling are usually referred to as heel commentators. They usually applaude such actions as using weapons, attacking referees and managers etc. Whilst when a face wrestler does something similar they make them seem like the bad guy.

Mixed martial arts

Non-sports Color Commentators

In the United States, the term "color analyst" is used far more frequently than "color commentator" though they both have about the same meaning. The job of the color analyst has spread beyond sports broadcasting to any area involving a live broadcast (often for extended periods, as during an emergency) for which additional on-air expertise and commentary is appropriate and/or necessary. So, color analyst or color commentators are now often seen during broadcast of political debates, and on the evening news while airing reports of medical, technological, or business news topics. Many local television stations now keep medical doctors, lawyers, stock brokers, and economists on staff to appear on the air and provide commentary or reporting at appropriate times.

Of particular note, during the continuous broadcasts during the Persian Gulf Wars, each network employed former high-ranking military officers and commanders, and military analyst as color commentators. Some of the notable color commentators appear on these broadcast were General Al Gray (Ret.), former Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, and Col. Harry Summers, noted military analyst. During the Space Shuttle disasters, the networks appropriately employed former astronauts, NASA engineers, and former operations directors to provide color commentary.

Sports announcers

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Color commentator".

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