Erin Andrews

Erin Andrews
Born	Erin Jill Andrews 5/4/1978
Birthplace	Lewiston, Maine, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Sportscaster, television personality
Known for	Fox Sports NFL sideline reporter, Dancing with the Stars co-host
Education	University of Florida (BA)
Children	1

Erin Jill Andrews (born May 4, 1978) is an American sportscaster and television personality who has established herself as one of the most prominent sideline reporters in professional football broadcasting. Born in Lewiston, Maine, Andrews rose to national prominence as a correspondent and reporter on ESPN, where she covered major sporting events from 2004 until her departure in 2012. She subsequently joined Fox Sports, where she became the network's lead NFL sideline reporter, a role she has held for more than a decade. Beyond her sports journalism career, Andrews gained additional public recognition as a contestant on the tenth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars in 2010, finishing in third place, and later served as the show's co-host alongside Tom Bergeron from 2014 to 2019. Andrews has also built a business presence through her clothing line, WEAR by Erin Andrews, which produces licensed women's sports apparel for the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and WNBA. Her career has also been marked by a high-profile criminal stalking case and a subsequent civil lawsuit that drew national attention to issues of privacy and security.

Early Life

Erin Jill Andrews was born on May 4, 1978, in Lewiston, Maine. She grew up in a family with strong connections to sports; her father, Steven Andrews, worked as a television journalist and reporter. Andrews was raised in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area and developed an interest in sports and broadcasting from a young age. She was active in dance during her youth, a background that would later serve her during her appearance on Dancing with the Stars.

Andrews attended Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Florida, in the greater Tampa area. During her high school years, she was involved in various activities and developed the communication skills that would later define her broadcasting career. Her upbringing in the Tampa Bay region fostered her connection to Florida sports culture, and the area has remained a significant part of her personal and professional life. In 2026, she was announced as the keynote speaker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' She is Football Weekend Career Summit, reflecting her ongoing ties to the community.

Education

Andrews attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where she studied telecommunications. She was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority during her time at the university. Andrews earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the university. Her education at one of the nation's major public universities, known for its prominent athletic programs, provided her with both academic training in media and immersion in the culture of collegiate sports that would become central to her early broadcasting work.

Career

Early Career

Andrews began her professional broadcasting career in 2000, working as a freelance reporter for various regional sports outlets. Her early work included stints at local and regional television stations where she developed her on-air skills covering a range of sporting events. These initial positions helped Andrews build a foundation in sports journalism before she advanced to national-level reporting.

ESPN (2004–2012)

Andrews joined ESPN in 2004, a move that would significantly raise her public profile. At the network, she served as a reporter and correspondent covering a broad range of sports, including college football, college basketball, Major League Baseball, and the National Hockey League. Her assignments included sideline reporting for major events, and she became one of the network's most visible on-air personalities.

During her tenure at ESPN, Andrews covered prominent sporting events and was a regular presence on programs such as College GameDay. Her work at the network earned her a significant public following and established her reputation as a leading sports reporter. Andrews also secured endorsement deals during this period, including a partnership with Reebok.

Andrews' time at ESPN was also marked by a criminal stalking incident that drew national media attention. In 2008, a man named Michael David Barrett secretly filmed Andrews through peepholes in hotel room doors at locations including a Nashville Marriott hotel. Barrett altered the peepholes to record nude videos of Andrews, which he then posted on the internet. The case became a major news story when it was made public in 2009. Andrews discussed the emotional toll of the incident in a September 2009 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, describing herself as a victim of stalking and invasion of privacy.

Barrett was arrested and, in December 2009, was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison after pleading guilty to interstate stalking. Andrews subsequently filed a civil lawsuit in July 2010 against Barrett and the hotel companies, including Marriott International and Radisson Hotels, alleging negligence in allowing Barrett to book rooms adjacent to hers and in failing to prevent the filming. The civil trial took place in 2016, during which Andrews testified about the lasting impact of the incident on her personal and professional life. The jury awarded Andrews $55 million in damages, finding the hotel management company and Barrett liable.

In June 2012, it was announced that Andrews would leave ESPN to join Fox Sports.

Fox Sports (2012–present)

Andrews joined Fox Sports in 2012, where she took on the role of lead sideline reporter for the network's NFL broadcasting team. In this capacity, she has been a regular presence on Fox's top-tier NFL game broadcasts, reporting from the sidelines during regular season and playoff games. The position has made her one of the most recognizable figures in NFL broadcasting.

Andrews has continued to serve as Fox Sports' lead NFL sideline reporter for more than a decade. Following each NFL season, she has remained active in the sports media landscape during the offseason. In early 2026, after wrapping up another NFL season, Andrews announced plans for new projects during the offseason period.

In a 2026 interview, Andrews, who became a mother approximately two years prior, spoke candidly about experiencing feelings of guilt related to balancing her demanding NFL broadcasting schedule with parenthood. She discussed the challenges of the travel-intensive nature of sideline reporting during the football season.

Dancing with the Stars (2010, 2014–2019)

In 2010, Andrews appeared as a celebrity contestant on the tenth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars, partnered with professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy. The pair advanced to the finals, ultimately finishing in third place behind winners Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough. Her appearance on the show introduced her to a broader audience beyond the sports viewership.

In 2014, Andrews returned to Dancing with the Stars in a new capacity, joining the show as co-host alongside longtime host Tom Bergeron. She served as co-host of the program from 2014 through 2019, a period during which she managed dual responsibilities with her Fox Sports NFL sideline reporting duties. Andrews departed the show in 2019.

Podcasting and Media Ventures

Andrews expanded her media presence beyond traditional broadcasting through podcasting. She co-hosts the podcast Calm Down with Erin and Charissa alongside fellow Fox Sports broadcaster Charissa Thompson. The podcast covers sports, pop culture, and personal topics. In early 2026, Andrews and Thompson issued a public warning to fans after reports emerged that scammers were targeting listeners using the podcast's name to perpetrate fraud.

WEAR by Erin Andrews

Andrews launched WEAR by Erin Andrews, a licensed women's sports apparel line. The brand produces clothing and accessories featuring licensed logos and designs for fans of teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and WNBA. The line focuses on providing sports fan apparel designed specifically for women, an area that Andrews identified as underserved in the licensed merchandise market. As of 2026, the brand remains active and has expanded to cover multiple professional sports leagues.

Other Ventures

Andrews has been involved in various media and entertainment projects beyond her core broadcasting work. In 2010, she participated in a partnership with Kraft Foods as part of a charitable initiative to address hunger in the United States. She has also been involved in charitable work related to disaster relief, including efforts to assist communities in Arkansas and other states affected by severe storms.

In March 2026, Andrews served as a live commentator and "hype host" alongside former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch for the Candy Crush All Stars 2026 tournament, which featured a $1 million prize pool.

Public Speaking

Andrews has been active as a public speaker, particularly on topics related to women in sports and broadcasting. In January 2026, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that Andrews would return as the keynote speaker for the organization's 2026 She is Football Weekend Career Summit, an event focused on career development for women in the sports industry. The invitation marked a return engagement, indicating she had previously served as keynote speaker for the event.

Personal Life

Andrews' personal life has been subject to public attention, in part due to the 2008 stalking incident and its aftermath. The criminal case and subsequent civil trial against the hotel companies were widely covered in the media and brought attention to issues of privacy, security in hotels, and the legal protections available to stalking victims.

In January 2017, Andrews publicly disclosed that she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. She discussed her diagnosis and treatment in an interview with Sports Illustrated's The MMQB, linking the emotional stress of her experience with the stalking case to her broader health journey. Andrews underwent treatment for the cancer and spoke publicly about her experience to raise awareness.

Andrews became engaged and was photographed wearing a diamond engagement ring, as reported by Us Magazine. She has one child. As of 2026, Andrews has discussed the challenges of balancing her role as a mother with the travel demands of her NFL broadcasting career.

Andrews previously owned a home in Atlanta, Georgia, which she sold for $355,000.

Recognition

Andrews' career in sports broadcasting has spanned more than two decades, beginning in 2000 and continuing through 2026. Her role as the lead sideline reporter for Fox Sports' NFL coverage has placed her among the most visible figures in American sports media. She has been featured in numerous media profiles and interviews throughout her career, including coverage in Us Magazine, The New York Times, USA Today, and Sports Illustrated.

Her 2016 civil trial verdict, which resulted in a $55 million award, was considered a landmark case in privacy law and drew attention to the responsibilities of hotel operators in protecting guest safety. Andrews' willingness to testify publicly about the impact of the stalking incident was noted in media coverage of the trial.

Andrews' role as keynote speaker at events such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' She is Football Weekend Career Summit reflects her standing as a prominent figure in discussions about women's roles in the sports industry. Her clothing line, WEAR by Erin Andrews, has been highlighted in coverage of women-owned businesses in the sports merchandise sector.

Her dual role at Fox Sports and as co-host of Dancing with the Stars from 2014 to 2019 made her one of the few sports journalists to maintain a simultaneous presence in both sports and entertainment television programming.

Legacy

Erin Andrews' career has coincided with and contributed to a period of increased visibility for women in sports broadcasting. Her tenure as the lead NFL sideline reporter for Fox Sports, a position she has held since 2012, has made her a fixture of the network's most-watched programming. The longevity of her career — spanning from regional sports reporting in 2000 to her continued prominence in 2026 — reflects her sustained relevance in a competitive field.

The criminal prosecution and civil trial arising from the 2008 stalking incident brought significant public attention to the issue of privacy for public figures, particularly women in media. The $55 million civil verdict in 2016 was one of the largest awarded in a case of its kind and prompted discussion about hotel security practices and the legal frameworks surrounding voyeurism and invasion of privacy.

Andrews' public disclosure of her cervical cancer diagnosis in 2017 added a personal health advocacy dimension to her public profile. Her openness about the diagnosis was noted in media coverage as contributing to awareness of cervical cancer screening and treatment.

Through her WEAR by Erin Andrews apparel line, Andrews has also contributed to the expansion of licensed women's sports merchandise, an area that has grown as women's sports viewership has increased across professional leagues. The brand's licensing agreements with the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and WNBA position it as one of the more expansive women-focused sports apparel lines in the market.

Her public speaking engagements, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' She is Football Career Summit, and her podcast with Charissa Thompson reflect a broadening of her career beyond on-air broadcasting into media entrepreneurship and advocacy for women in sports professions.