Fired ESPN star lands new role for NFL season ahead of opening game in Australia
Fired ESPN star lands new role for NFL season ahead of opening game in Australia
Sahil KurupMon, August 17, 2026 at 9:37 PM UTC
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Tom Pelissero was laid off by ESPN before finding a new role -Credit:Getty
Tom Pelissero has found his next opportunity less than a month after being laid off by ESPN, with Netflix announcing Monday that he will serve as an NFL insider and sideline reporter for the streaming service's league broadcasts throughout the 2026 season.
Pelissero's Netflix debut will come during the NFL's first-ever regular season game held in Australia, when the San Francisco 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne for Week 1.
He is set to appear across Netflix's full slate of five NFL broadcasts this season, which also includes the Wednesday game before Thanksgiving between the Packers and Rams, and the Christmas Day doubleheader featuring a 1 p.m. matchup between the Bears and Packers followed by a 4:30 p.m. game between the Broncos and Bills. It comes as Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro addressed ESPN's future after more layoffs.
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Beyond his on-field role, Pelissero will co-host "The Ringer NFL Show" and contribute across The Ringer's broader NFL podcast lineup, including weekly appearances on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," with The Ringer's video podcasts available on Netflix.
Pelissero spent nine years as a reporter and insider at NFL Network, joining in 2017 after previously covering the league nationally for USA Today.
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He became a fixture of NFL Network programming, appearing regularly on shows including "GameDay Morning," "Good Morning Football" and "The Insiders" alongside colleagues Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
His departure came amid ESPN's broader restructuring following its acquisition of multiple NFL Media assets, including NFL Network, in a deal approved by regulators in January that gave the NFL a 10% equity stake in ESPN.
Pelissero was part of the same round of layoffs that also included Ryan Clark, Cam Newton, Bart Scott, Karl Ravech, David Lloyd and Stephania Bell.
Following his layoff, Pelissero thanked his former colleagues and viewers in a social media post accompanied by a Ted Lasso GIF.
Tom Pelissero will appear across Netflix's full slate of five NFL broadcasts this season -Credit:Getty
"Thanks to all of you who watched me the past nine years on NFL Network," he wrote. "Thanks to all of my colleagues who made the job fun and pushed me on a daily basis. Thanks to my family, who constantly made sacrifices to support me in a life-consuming job. I'm so grateful. See you soon."
According to reporting from The Athletic, Amazon Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" had also expressed interest in Pelissero for the insider role vacated by Rapoport, who signed a new deal keeping him with ESPN and NFL Network.
Pelissero ultimately chose the Netflix and Ringer combination instead, while Prime Video has since signed former NFL Network and Athletic reporter James Palmer to fill that role.
Pelissero's move marks the third time The Ringer has brought on talent departing ESPN or NFL Network in recent years, following NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay's move after his 2023 layoff and NBA analyst Zach Lowe's departure in 2024.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
