Bio

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Seven-time Emmy Award-winner Jim Watson is a full-time play-by-play announcer, anchor, reporter and host for PAC-12 NETWORK, NBC SPORTS, UNIVERSAL SPORTS, FOX SPORTS NET, THE MOUNTAIN, ESPN3, TIME WARNER and several other national and regional networks. Watson’s signature is his versatility. During a career that spans 25 years, there is virtually no sport he hasn’t called or covered. From Major League Baseball (MLB), to international beach volleyball (FIVB) to college football (NCAA) and four Olympic Games (IOC)—23 sports in all.

Currently, Watson is a play-by-play announcer for several Pac-12 sports including football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, gymnastics, water polo, track & field, cross-country, tennis, golf, softball and soccer. In addition, Watson was the original host of the Emmy-nominated "Runnin' with the Pac" for its first five seasons.

Watson has appeared on four Olympic Games for NBC SPORTS. Once again featuring his versatility, he has called five different sports at the Olympics. In 2000, he was the play-by-play announcer for Beach Volleyball in Sydney, Australia. In 2004 Watson moved to Indoor Volleyball for the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. In 2012 he called the weightlifting and taekwondo competitions from London, England and in 2016 Watson was the lead announcer on men’s and women’s gymnastics from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

During an extensive career, Watson has been the pregame and postgame host/reporter for Dodgers, Angels, Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Ducks, Seahawks, Sonics, Mariners and several Pac-12 events. Watson has also served as the play-by-play announcer for the (FIVB) Beach Volleyball World Tour, the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, (MLS) and for two WNBA teams (Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks).

Watson has called 6 World Championships for NBC SPORTS and UNIVERSAL SPORTS having worked the Worlds of Snowboard Cross, the World Championships of Beach Volleyball, the (team) Volleyball World Championships, as well as calling both the men’s and women’s competitions for the Water Polo Worlds and the World Rowing finals. Watson was also at the mic for the World Wrestling Championships, (both Greco-Roman and Freestyle).

Watson has added his voice to football, basketball, baseball, beach volleyball, team volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, water polo, swimming, weightlifting, track & field, cross-country, wrestling, skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, softball, golf, tennis, motocross, taekwondo, boxing and rowing. In addition to his work on professional, Olympic and collegiate sports, Watson has also called the football & basketball high school State Championships in California, Oregon and Washington.

Watson attended the University of Hawaii, (UH) and the University of Southern California, (USC). He graduated from USC in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Information, (SPIN). He is married and currently lives with his extraordinary wife Shauna and two nearly-perfect daughters Roxy and Macy in the seaside village of La Jolla, California.

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