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CBS lose Peter Drury but gain Ray Hudson for Champions League

CBS lose Peter Drury

CBS Sports have announced their lineup of talent for coverage of the UEFA Champions League. Most of the faces will be familiar to viewers for the 2022/23 season. However, there are two major changes.

Out goes Peter Drury, who is now exclusive to NBC Sports, the home of Premier League soccer in homes across the US. For the past two years, Drury commentated Champions League and Europa League matches for CBS Sports. Meanwhile, Clive Tyldesley remains as the lead commentator for UEFA coverage on CBS Sports.

Drury is replaced by Andrés Cordero, who has covered Serie A and US Men’s National Team games for CBS Sports. While not in the same league as Drury, and with a completely different commentary style, this is a big step up for Cordero.

More changes from CBS Sports

Drury’s partner for many UEFA games on CBS Sports was Jim Beglin, one of the top co-commentators in the Premier League. Beglin continues to co-commentate games for the Premier League world-feed.

Replacing Beglin is a familiar voice who will sit alongside Cordero. His co-commentator for UEFA matches is Ray Hudson, who worked with Cordero while the two were at beIN SPORTS. It’s safe to say that you can expect the team of Cordero and Hudson commentating select Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona games, for sure.

What the changes mean for CBS

There’s no doubt that Univision is the biggest competitor that faces CBS Sports. The popular broadcaster has the rights in Spanish-language to the same games as CBS. However, by hiring Cordero — a native Cuban — and partnering him with Hudson, the duo could convince some bilingual households to make the switch from TUDN to CBS Sports. At the same time, Hudson has a large following of fans who will gravitate to the games he’s calling just to hear his colorful analysis.

Meanwhile, TelevisaUnivision are siphoning off the vast majority of games that were previously shown on television and putting them on its paid streaming service, ViX+. Since launching, the new streaming service has had a difficult time acquiring subscribers. Given the circumstances, CBS Sports executives probably feel that they can continue to surpass the number of viewers that TelevisaUnivision has. For instance, CBS Sports had more viewers for the 2022 Champions League final.

Losing Peter Drury and Jim Beglin will be a blow for CBS Sports, but Univision showing fewer games on TV will be a boost.

Having said that, the first two weeks of UEFA Champions League coverage feature every single, individual game on Paramount+. The only English-language coverage of games on television will be The Golazo Show whip-around show on matchdays.

CBS lose Peter Drury, but others returning to CBS Sports

Elsewhere in its plans, CBS Sports have announced that live pre-match, halftime and post-match studio coverage will feature host Kate Abdo alongside analysts Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards. On-site reporters Peter Schmeichel, Guillem Balagué and Jules Breach will join throughout the season, and Christina Unkel will contribute to coverage as CBS Sports’ rules analyst. The show, entitled UEFA Champions League Today, will stream live on Paramount+ and air on CBS Sports Network throughout Group Stage play.

CBS Sports’ Clint Dempsey will join for the first week of Champions League coverage. Later this year, Dempsey will be a studio analyst for FOX’s World Cup coverage.

Nico Cantor will once again lead The Golazo Show, streaming live on Paramount+ and airing on CBS Sports Network during UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League match days. Cantor and Freddie Ljunberg will lead the show for UEFA Champions League each Tuesday and Wednesday, while Cantor will be joined by Lianne Sanderson, Ayo Akinwolare and Julien Laurens for UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League match days on Thursdays.

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39 Comments

39 Comments

  1. Philip Thomas

    September 8, 2022 at 1:06 pm

    Great news about Ray Hudson – a linguistic master

  2. Bobb

    September 6, 2022 at 3:52 pm

    I have yet to get an answer to this question, I hope someone here can help.

    Why aren’t broadcasts offered with a “stadium sound” option?

    Plenty of folks have announcers they hate, but don’t want to mute the sound. Plenty of announcers and/or networks “spoil” other matches, to the annoyance of many fans. Back in the day (2008-2015 ish) I often watched Bundesliga matches from SKY Deutschland with stadium sound. It’s obviously possible.

    • dave

      September 6, 2022 at 4:54 pm

      This is a great idea! Leagues that sell different rights packages by language might need to add riders to their agreements (e.g., are stadium-sound rights sold separately, if not which language includes the right to stadium-sound, etc.). There should be no technical hurdles, I would think. No idea what aggregate demand is, but I could see myself enjoying it sometimes

      • SteveK

        September 7, 2022 at 7:58 am

        I wish we had this “true sound” option because the sound on most of these Paramount+ Champions League matches has been awful so far…it’s as if the engineers have to neuter the stadium sound so much in order to hear the commentator who is in his basement somewhere calling the game off of his computer screen. Take yesterdays Chelsea Dinamo Zagreb game, it was in an archaic open air 3 sided full stadium that was obviously raucous and very loud yet all we heard was muffled background noise. It’s amateur hour.

        • greg

          September 7, 2022 at 8:30 am

          Same for Celtic – Madrid…what was by all accounts a great atmosphere was completely neutered by the sound mix.

  3. SteveK

    September 6, 2022 at 12:38 pm

    Not a good sign for Paramount+ that the pre-game they themselves posted would start at 12:20 has not started yet and here it is 12:37 and nothing yet…

    You have one of the crown jewels of soccer, do better.

  4. cmasia

    September 4, 2022 at 8:30 pm

    From a CBS Sports Press Release for Week 1 of Champions League Coverage:

    “Ray Hudson joins coverage as a match analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Andrés Cordero, with the pair calling Paris Saint-Germain vs. Juventus on Tuesday.
    Play-by-play announcer Clive Tyldesley will partner with match analyst Rob Green to call Wednesday’s Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich match.”

    • cmasia

      September 4, 2022 at 8:31 pm

      PS: If you want to watch more than one match, watch the World Feed s first, and save the PSG match and the Inter match for last.

      CBS commentators are notorious for “spoiling” other games.

      • Jim

        September 6, 2022 at 1:53 pm

        Yea I’ll watch Celtic then psg.

      • Jim

        September 6, 2022 at 2:08 pm

        All matches except for one is world feed right

  5. MarkB

    September 2, 2022 at 3:21 pm

    Watching Bundesliga just now reminded me how much I miss Derek Rae on CL broadcasts. Some call him pedantic for his insistence on proper pronunciation, I call it knowing your s..t.

    • John Culea

      September 4, 2022 at 5:24 pm

      Agree on Derek Rae. Drury today was dreary, dripping with sap in his glee over his beloved MU winning.

  6. nickp91

    September 2, 2022 at 12:48 pm

    La Liga goes to ESPN and we lose Ray Hudson calling Barca games and get Ale Moreno instead

  7. MarkB

    September 2, 2022 at 12:03 pm

    To me, Ray Hudson is one of those who you find refreshing and/or amusing the first few times you hear them (Think: Dick Vitale on college hoops, or Chris Berman on anything) but whose shtick begins to be just plain annoying very soon afterwards. As for his “Messigasms” every time Saint Leo touches the ball the less said, the better.

    • David Good

      September 6, 2022 at 3:22 pm

      I like Ray…You can always put the device on mute. Ray’s unbridled admiration of Messi, while he was at Barcelona, was well deserved.

  8. greg

    September 2, 2022 at 11:48 am

    Add me to the group who doesn’t get the appeal of Hudson. Doesn’t add any worthwhile insight to the game, he’s a schtick announcer in the vein of Chris Berman. Yeah, it’s like trading Messi for uh…Nicklas Bendtner.

    I also hope they tone down the goofy banter from Carragher and Richards. Thierry Henry is so much better, raises the level of the broadcast.

    Cannot understand why you wouldn’t like Kate Abdo. She’s bright, speaks multiple languages, knows the game. Yeah she’s a bit fashion forward and sometimes eggs on Richards & Carragher too much, but she’s on par with Rebecca Lowe in terms of presenters/moderators.

  9. JP

    September 2, 2022 at 10:04 am

    All these comments with people not happy. Guess I’m in the minority who actually likes Andres Cordero’s style very much and also finds Ray Hudson’s enthusiasm and schtick endearing. Much better pairing than Phil Schoen who just won’t stop talking for one second during a match and becomes tiresome very soon.

    • Mercator

      September 2, 2022 at 12:14 pm

      These are the same boring fans who probably complain about Richarlison juggling the ball on the field. God forbid a bit of flair or passion intrudes upon the beautiful game.

    • Turfit

      September 2, 2022 at 12:16 pm

      I’m with you on this one JP

  10. MarkB

    September 2, 2022 at 9:53 am

    Cordero and Hudson, a match made in listening hell. Cordero ruins any Serie A match for me and just the thought of Hudson commentating a PSG match makes me cringe.

    • David Good

      September 6, 2022 at 3:24 pm

      LOLOL

  11. Mercator

    September 2, 2022 at 8:34 am

    Y’all are crazy. This is a legendary line up, by far the best to ever show up on American TV. If Drury is on other duties I can’t think of a better replacement than Hudson, but I do wish they brought Schoen as well. Thank god CBS got the rights again – we have Henry on the desk, Hudson on the call, and everything can be streamed for under $40 a year! I don’t think CL broadcasting is ever going to get better than this.

  12. cmasia

    September 2, 2022 at 1:46 am

    While this news is not welcome, it’s not terrible.

    But a few suggestions / requests:

    1) Gaffer, when there are multiple matches a day, can you let us know which games will be Tyldesley / Cordero? The CBS crew always give “spoilers” of the other matches, and many of us would like to watch the “world feed” games before the CBS games for that reason.

    2) Your headline of CBS losing Drury, but gaining Hudson is similar to a headline of trading Lionel Messi for Emil Heskey.

    3) Can someone – anyone – have a cattle prod ready when Micah Richards turns into a hyena?

    4) Rob Green is staying with Tyldesley.

    5) More Schmeichel and more Henry, please. Serious football analysis needs to be reinforced.

    6) Ray Hudson? In 2022? Really?

    • locofooty

      September 2, 2022 at 9:58 am

      Yeah, the headline makes it worse. Not a good trade at all lol. Thankfully there is Univision/Vix.

  13. Azer

    September 2, 2022 at 12:51 am

    What an embarrassment for CBS hiring a clown to do Champions League commentary. I wish somebody had a power to cancel their CL rights and award them to a different provider. As the saying goes, show them who’s boss.
    I don’t want to read another comment about Pien Meulensteen. I’d rather have her than Herr Hudson. He can go and play in the Hudon river. Pien is on the Premier League world feed and is heard worldwide. Herr Hudson can only dream having her job. If I’m in the minority on this than so, be it.

  14. Jonathan Ramirez

    September 2, 2022 at 12:01 am

    I’m kind of surprised the site never brought up the changes TUDN went through during the summer with moving most of their production to Mexico and consequently losing some key on-screen figures and commentators during the move. A small comfort for me is that Luis Omar Tapia is still around for Champions League games, but the talent pool they use from Mexico is a bit of a downgrade compared to before. I am curious as to how Ray Hudson would do. While he is a bit polarizing for some, I found his commentary to be at least entertaining.

    • dave

      September 2, 2022 at 10:22 am

      I pay less attention to announcers than many WST commenters, but I had been curious about the new voices on many Liga MX games. Thank you for the update that TUDN now mainly produce in Mexico. Makes sense for driving synergy, but I also miss some of the familiar voices

  15. John Culea

    September 1, 2022 at 10:34 pm

    Cordero is awful and his goooooal gimmick has worn thin. Kate Abdo is so self-absorbed to the point she is unwatchable.
    Peter “I love Manchester United” Drury and his cringe “poetic” calls is no great catch for CBS.
    Jon Champion, Jim Proudfoot, Ian Darke, and (a name from the past I wish we could enjoy) Alan Parry are quality guys calling the game with Lee Dixon tops as a commentator.
    As for Martin “Nasal” Tyler—no thank you.
    At least there is no Pien.

    • MarkB

      September 2, 2022 at 12:17 pm

      Agree: Proudfoot, Darke and especially Champion are the best I’ve heard. I also miss Alan Parry who I liked a lot back in the old Setanta days. Tyler was once enjoyable, but now while still knowledgeable is sleep inducing. As for Pien, she’s nothing more than “don’t you know who my father is” entitled and horrible at what she does. At least there’s no Gus Johnson or Max Bretos.

  16. Eric

    September 1, 2022 at 10:29 pm

    I will miss Peter Drury and Jim Beglin, a classy and intelligent commentary team.

    I find Ray Hudson literally unbearable. His absurdly exaggerated style calls attention to himself and detracts from the match. He adds nothing with his ridiculous screaming nonsense. Someone should remind him that the match is the focus and he is not the main attraction. On the contrary, he is repulsive. When he is commenting, I will listen to the Spainish-language broadcast instead. If there is no alternative, I will literally turn off the sound as I have in the past.

    Someone else said, “obnoxious.” I totally agree and cannot improve on that.
    Spare us!

  17. Russ

    September 1, 2022 at 9:37 pm

    I am perhaps one of the few .. but personally, I can’t tolerate Peter Drury .. who singlehandedly is enough for me to find another commentary feed, or to turn the volume down .. A person who thinks every viewer is entitled, and should be forced to listen to, his endless babble of parenthetical wordplay .. who never thinks to choose 5-6 words and allow the action and the educated audience fill in the rest .. He couldn’t be more the antithesis of Martin Tyler .. the Gold Standard .. who sadly we don’t hear enough of ..

  18. Kevin

    September 1, 2022 at 9:07 pm

    I like Hudson as a guy but I don’t think his style and the duo are what the Champs League crowd wants, and has been doing so well for Paramount. Also I saw tbey’ll be calling from a monitor in Florida. Paramount did well by leaving everything to those closer to the action in London and on the continent

  19. Boyhowdy

    September 1, 2022 at 8:18 pm

    I despise Ray Hudson. Worst football commentator ever. I have never heard a commentator of any sport who was more obnoxious than Ray Hudson.

    • Bocheball

      September 1, 2022 at 8:56 pm

      I totally agree. An obnoxious self important idiot.

    • Don F

      September 2, 2022 at 7:52 am

      McEnroe! Steve a smith and obviously you’ve never endured a Saint Louis Cardinals broadcast? Pbp announcer worst in the sport! And to top of off don’t even get me started on the 3 horrible analysts we suffer through!

    • MarkB

      September 5, 2022 at 12:19 pm

      Max Bretos ? Gus Johnson?

  20. dave

    September 1, 2022 at 5:13 pm

    Do you have any data you can share to expand on “Since launching, the new streaming service has had a difficult time acquiring subscribers” (in reference to ViX+)?
    .
    My gut sense was $7 per month could be high for a meaningful portion of the target market. ESPN+ has never really been above $5 monthly ARPU (bundles and discounts drive volume at the expense of ARPU), Peacock paid subscriber numbers are not great even at $5 per month, etc.

  21. SoccerFan

    September 1, 2022 at 5:02 pm

    Really not trying to be rude, just honest opinion: I don’t know what CBS/fans see in Cordero. Just never really been an exciting commentator to me. I don’t dislike American-sounding commentators versus English (for instance, I adore Phil Schoen). But something about Cordero never gets me going. LOVE the decision to bring in Ray Hudson, only wish they could’ve partnered him with Phil, the duo we heard for so many years on BeIn Sports.
    One other nugget I noticed from CBS’s release is no mention of Jenny Chiu. Looks like one less sideline reporter in Paramount+’s roster this season.

    • Efrain

      September 2, 2022 at 6:56 am

      @SoccerFan- Agreed. Guess we’re the minority of Ray Hudson supporters. Bringing on Phil Schoen would have been better. As a “duo” Phil kind of balances out Ray’s hysteria. I assume Ray will call Barcelona matches; looking forward to it.

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