NBC Sports announced Monday that Ahmed Fareed will host NBC Sports’ Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock for the remainder of the 2023 NFL season while host Maria Taylor is on maternity leave.
Fareed is no stranger to the studio team. He has previously hosted Football Night in America on a fill-in basis and currently serves as a host and reporter on a variety of NBC Sports properties, including B1G College Countdown, horse racing, Premier League, rugby, and Chris Simms Unbuttoned. Recently, Fareed has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita and Peacock’s MLB Sunday Leadoff, was on-site for NBC Sports’ college football coverage at Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin, and handles hosting duties for Peacock’s Big Ten men’s basketball coverage.
Fareed has had four Olympic assignments with NBC Sports, most recently as a host of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics on USA. He has also anchored coverage of the past two Paralympic Games across NBCUniversal.
From 2013-18, Fareed was a Bay Area-based sports newser, having served as a host and reporter for NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California (previously Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and Comcast SportsNet California), covering Northern California’s teams: MLB’s San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s, NBA’s Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, NHL’s San Jose Sharks, MLS’ San Jose Earthquakes and NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders.
Fareed’s first week as Football Night in America host will be this Saturday, Dec. 23, with a special edition of Football Night in America at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, leading into NBC Sports’ NFL doubleheader capped by the Peacock Holiday Exclusive game at 8 p.m. ET between Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills against Austin Ekeler and the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Peacock exclusive immediately follows the Holiday Special Saturday afternoon game featuring Joe Mixon and the Cincinnati Bengals vs. T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Below, a nice video tribute to Taylor as she heads off on leave:
Thank you to my NBC & FNIA Family for this wonderful send off! It’s been amazing to be your Sunday Night QB week to week, while growing my franchise player. I have never felt more blessed to be somewhere!
Thank you everyone for the well wishes for my family and I 🥹❤️ https://t.co/5US1UtGU1P
— Maria Taylor (@MariaTaylor) December 18, 2023