CNN and HLN have hired Hines Ward, the two-time Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl MVP, and winner of season 12 of Dancing With the Stars.
“Based in Atlanta, Hines will serve as sports contributor on Morning Express with Robin Meade, and will also provide analysis and commentary for all CNN platforms,” writes Bill Galvin in a memo to staff Wednesday.
“I’m incredibly grateful to HLN and CNN for welcoming me to their prestigious team,” said Ward. “Throughout my career, I’ve always envisioned myself as more than just a football player and this platform will allow me to express myself in different and unique ways. I’m excited to be able to share my journey and my stories with our audiences, both in the US and worldwide.”
Since leaving the NFL, Ward has written a book and launched a podcast, The Hines Ward Show, where he hinted that he might soon return to television. “I’ve got some projects in the making,” Ward said. “When they came to me to do it, I said hell yeah, let’s do it. Let’s rock it.”
Here’s the full memo:
I’m excited to officially announce that Hines Ward is joining the CNN & HLN Sports teams.
Many of you probably know him best as two-time Super Bowl Champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but as I’m quickly learning, a lot of you also know him as season 12 winner of Dancing with the Stars.
Hines joins Coy Wire and Andy Scholes to round out an on-air team with impressive accomplishments both on the field and off. Based in Atlanta, Hines will serve as sports contributor on Morning Express with Robin Meade, and will also provide analysis and commentary for all CNN platforms, including CNN Digital, CNNMoney, CNN U.S. and CNN International.
Please join me in welcoming Hines. His first day will be July 1. The below press announcement will be issued shortly.
– Bill Galvin, SVP, Sports Programming-CNN