NewsNBC will use Jim Fagan’s AI-generated voice for NBA coverageThe AI-generated voice of Fagan, who died in 2017, will appear across select NBA promos, openers, and title sequences.The AI-generated voice of Fagan, who died in 2017, will appear across select NBA promos, openers, and title sequences.by Emma RothMay 6, 2025, 4:27 PM UTCLinkFacebookThreads Photo by Tim Warner/Getty ImagesEmma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.NBC’s upcoming NBA coverage will include the AI-generated voice of Jim Fagan, a longtime sports narrator who died in 2017. In an announcement on Tuesday, NBC said the AI-generated voice of Fagan will appear across select title sequences, show opens, and promos when the network resumes airing NBA games in October.Fagan’s voice appeared in NBC’s NBA coverage from 1990 to 2002, where he became known for his “NBA on NBC” promos. He also narrated promos and openers for the league’s biggest stars, like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Hakeem Olajuwon.With permission from Fagan’s family, NBC will now use AI to recreate his voice. NBC has already revealed its first promo using Fagan’s AI-generated voice, which you can hear in the video embedded below.“His voice perfectly captured the magnitude of the heavyweight matchups and stars that he was introducing,” NBC Sports president Rick Cordella said in the press release. “It’s been a joy to work with Jim’s family to recreate his voice and honor his legacy.” NBC says Fagan’s AI-generated voice will “supplement traditional voiceover work by other artists.” NBC also used AI voiceovers last year for the 2024 Paris Olympics, as it rolled out a tool that people could use to generate personalized recaps using the AI-generated voice of sportscaster Al Michaels.Disclosure: Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, is also an investor in Vox Media, The Verge’s parent company.See More: AIEntertainmentNewsSportsTechMost PopularMost PopularGoogle just leaked Android’s new design languageMicrosoft announces a Gears of War remaster – and it’s coming to PlayStation, tooRIP Skype — you were right about almost everythingOpenAI abandons plan to become a for-profit companyMeta’s AI app is a nightmarish social feedInstallerA weekly newsletter by David Pierce designed to tell you everything you need to download, watch, read, listen to, and explore that fits in The Verge’s universe.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native ad
