Meet Krystle Rich of NBC Sports Philadelphia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Krystle Rich.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am currently a host/anchor of a brand new show called, “Sixers Outsiders” on NBC Sports Philadelphia, a regional TV network. The show gives sports commentary on Philadelphia’s NBA team, the 76ers. Building up to broadcast in the number four TV market (Philadelphia) has been a lifelong goal and a long journey.

I started my career in college, which I believe young people should take note of. A successful career does not start after college. You must build while you are in school through real hands-on experience, jobs, and internships. I attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ

I reported and anchored in college for our student-run TV network called RU-tv. There I covered sports and co-hosted a live morning show. In college, I convinced a small blog in Philly to buy me cheap camera equipment as an internship, and I reported on the NFL Philadelphia Eagles that summer. If you don’t have an opportunity, create one.

I started my career post-college in Los Angeles at the NFL Network as a producer/editor. I worked on the TV show “NFL Fantasy Live” and was a producer on a new podcast. That podcast eventually won Stitcher’s “Best Sports Commentary” award and was named iTunes’ “Best of 2013.”

I then moved to Spectrum SportsNet in Los Angeles, then Time Warner Cable. There I hosted my own sports and fitness show. I interviewed famous NFL athletes like Richard Sherman, Colin Kaepernick and more. When Time Warner was bought out, not only my show but my channel was wiped out.

While in-between jobs, I published my first book, Ambivalent Hope: A Gun and a Prayer and became an IMDb-recognized short film director. Not working full-time was never an excuse to stop hustling and pursuing my dreams.

After almost a year with no TV gig, I moved to the East Coast to work for a local CBS affiliate. I was hired as a Sports Reporter/Weekend Sports Anchor. In the NFL I covered the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens. I also covered the NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, NASCAR, PGA, D-1 college and high school athletics.

I even had a stint as a hard news anchor. My next job was in Sacramento as a live Morning Reporter and Anchor. I jumped from a small TV market (144) to a much larger one (20). There I worked on a 5-hour live morning show. I covered hard news from 4:30 a.m. – 7 a.m. and did fun and fluffy live shots from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

I anchored on weekends and was still able to cover football occasionally. I covered the San Francisco 49ers. I went live daily 10-20 times per day. News Reel: https://youtu.be/dptrnonAZig. Since I was doing more news instead of sports, I made the hard decision to come back to Los Angeles. News is always a great experience, but sports is where my passion was and still is. Taking a digital job felt like a downgrade, but it actually was a God-ordained blessing.

I took a job at OBSEV Studios working for a YouTube channel called, The Fumble. There I was able to perfect my craft of sports commentary and debate. It was a hard decision to stop pursuing TV for a year to go digital, but it set me up for the type of career that I want to have. Sports Reel: https://youtu.be/KV7n7URy93U.

I am giving you the highlights of my story, but there are also many lowlights of uncertainty and struggle. Times can be very hard when the opportunity is lacking, but I encourage everyone to hold tight to their dreams and don’t let the struggle stop you. Let it propel you forward.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t think smooth road and TV go together. There are very limited sports jobs in any city. Even if you look in local news, there might be 15 news reporters to a station and only one or two sports reporters.

Struggle is unavoidable, but it builds a strong foundation for you, as crazy as that sounds. If you can go through the struggle and not give up, nothing can stop you. I think the number one thing to remember is we live in a world where you can create your own opportunity.

Stop waiting for someone to give you a full-time job with benefits. Create your own opportunities even if you have to get a part-time job to pay the bills. Many people have great potential but never reach it because they give up when struggle arrives. Struggle is a necessary opposition to prove that you have what it takes.

Please tell us about NBC Sports Philadelphia.
I am a Sports Reporter/Anchor currently working in a huge sports city for NBC Sports Philadelphia. I specialize in sports commentary, debate, live anchoring, and reporting. I am most proud of the diversity of my on-air work.

Covering everything from news to sports to doing sports commentary and debate requires a different skill set for each one. If you watch my news and sports reels, with currently does not include my NBC Sports Philadelphia work, you’ll see me reporting on hard news (fires, murders) then trying out windsurfing live on TV.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Nothing. Each loss is a lesson, each lesson builds you up for your next level.

Contact Info:

• Website: KrystleRich.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/KrystleRich
• Facebook: facebook.com/KrystleRich1
• Twitter: twitter.com/KrystleRich

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