Sports Commentator

Typical Salary

£13,000 To £80,000

Typical Hours

39 to 41 variable

evenings / weekends / bank holidays away from home

How To Become a Sports Commentator

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
volunteering
applying directly

College / University

There is no set entry route to become a sports commentator but it may be useful to get a degree in a relevant subject like:

journalism
sports journalism
sports business and broadcasting

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You can work towards this role by starting with an advanced apprenticeship as a junior journalist.

Routes into this Career

You could get started by working as a broadcast assistant in a television or radio company.

You'll need to work your way up from commentating at a local level and applying for promotion when you've got more experience.

You'll need to show employers that you have the sports knowledge and commentating skills that they're looking for.

You can apply directly to employers if you've got some of the relevant skills and knowledge needed for this job. You'll usually need a background in sport or journalism.

As a sports professional, you may start off as a co-commentator or summariser, offering a specialist opinion on the action and tactical insights, before progressing to lead commentator.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

knowledge of media production and communication
knowledge of English language
excellent verbal communication skills
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
to be flexible and open to change
knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software
the ability to use your initiative
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your duties may include:

preparing for an event by researching clubs or players
working with a production team
taking direction from a producer
interviewing sports professionals
commentating on events before, during and after the fixture
working with experts who give their opinion or statistics
updating your website, blog or social media feed

Working Environment

You could work on a sports field, at a recording studio or at a sports arena.

Your working environment may be crowded, outdoors some of the time, noisy and you'll travel often.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

You'll need to have some practical experience and be able to show you have a real enthusiasm for sports commentating.

To get some work experience you could:

volunteer to commentate on charity events like fun runs
commentate for amateur matches at schools, college or for local teams
record commentary for websites or internet radio stations
volunteer for community, hospital or student radio, or TV

You can get a list of radio stations from:

Large broadcasters like BBC Careers, ITV and Channel 4 offer work experience placements, insight and talent days.

The Sports Journalists Association has more ideas about where to look for work experience.

Tips & Information

Career tips

Competition for jobs is very strong and very few jobs are advertised. Building up a network of industry contacts can help you find out about vacancies.

You'll need to record examples of your commentating on CD, DVD or online so you can show your skills to potential employers.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Sports Journalists' Association for training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in sports commentating from The Pips and BBC Academy.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.