Underdog Fantasy has bolstered its football coverage with the addition of veteran NFL Reporter James Palmer.

Palmer, Underdog’s first Sports Reporter, will be tasked with leading the company’s football coverage and also host the “89” podcast with Steve Smith Sr.

He will provide coverage across the football programmes on the Underdog Media Network, which includes Clean Pocket, hosted by former NFL QB Colt McCoy and Coach Jay Gruden, and Heed the Call, hosted by Dan Hanzus and Marc Sesslerm, formerly of the Around the NFL podcast.

Tim Livingston, Underdog’s VP of Content, said: “To have someone of James Palmer’s calibre join the Underdog team and help develop our news reporting capabilities is another validation of what we are building here.

“He has covered football’s biggest moments in recent years, has an engaging and insightful reporting style, and maintains the ability to connect with fans, which is at the heart of everything we do.”

Before joining Underdog, Palmer was a lead field reporter for the NFL Network, bringing fans coverage from the sidelines throughout the regular season and the playoffs. He also spent six years covering college football. 

Commenting on his new role, Palmer said that he looks forward to “bringing fans the latest news through in-depth storytelling, reporting and analysis across Underdog programming”.

The Underdog media network has grown significantly in recent years and recently surpassed one million total YouTube subscribers. Its daily sports show, Gil’s Arena hosted by former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, is the fifth-largest daily sports show when counting viewers across all platforms.

The network recently made its most high-profile signing with the recruitment of six-time Super Bowl-winning Head Coach Bill Belichick. 

The former New England Patriots Head Coach will feature in a new YouTube show, titled Coach, breaking down NFL film and analysing games weekly throughout the 2024 NFL season.