TAYLOR Rooks’ career has been on the rise in recent years – just as sports broadcasting has taken off.
The 33-year-old host, presenter and reporter joined Amazon for their venture into screening regular live NFL games four years ago.
Amazon’s deal to show Thursday Night Football exclusively on Prime felt like the start of a new era in sports broadcasting.
Rooks joined the team having previously worked for SportsNet New York, CBS Sports Network and TNT.
And she’s grown into one of the most important stars on Amazon’s roster – continuing her work on NFL and this season launching their NBA coverage.
“Things are amazing,” Rooks told The Sun. “I have been so lucky to have just the best teammates.”
“I feel like I’m just learning so much about the NBA through their eyes, which has been exciting.
“And there’s so many things that I learned through being a part of Thursday Night Football that I knew I wanted to bring over to NBA on Prime as well.”
Four years on from Amazon’s TNF deal kicking in, streaming is now a major part of sports broadcasting.
Amazon has shown an NFL playoff game live this season and screened Black Friday Football across the globe.
In NFL circles, they have been joined by the likes of Netflix and YouTube in recent years.
And this season marks the start of the NBA’s new $76 billion television contract between Amazon, ESPN and NBC.
“I have nothing but really amazing things to say about how the season has gone up to this point,” Rooks said.
“I was lucky enough to do the entire seasons of Thursday Night Football since its inception and it’s been really cool to see the way they infuse fun into the broadcast and personality.
“I think with Amazon, fun and innovation is really at the heart of everything that we do because we understand that it is about bringing in element of entertainment to this sport that people care deeply about.”
Part of being a newcomer also means Amazon has had to find it’s own voice and identity while competing with more established, traditional broadcasters.
The coverage so far has earned rave reviews from fans, with Steve Nash’s breakdowns on court especially proving a huge hit.
Rooks said, “Our coverage is incredibly immersive and it is also based in that learning and educational standpoint as well.
“The huge LED half court gives us the ability to do demos and show actions and have the guys illustrate to fans certain moves and why they work.
“The ability to be able to watch your favorite NBA team on the screen and then come into the studio and have it really broken down has been a major differentiator.
“I also love our nightcap show. We’re all lounging after the games and it creates this sort of environment for everybody to tell stories and be a lot more relaxed.
“We’ve also done a really good job with the player interviews to really make them fun and celebratory.
“I think there’s a lot of different things, but that of course begins with the talent that has been assembled on the show.
“We have hall of famers and legends and icons and they all bring incredibly unique perspectives that just expands the way that the viewer takes in the game.”
