Overview

Bill Macatee (born November 17, 1955) is an American television sportscaster with a long career covering tennis, golf, football and other major sports. He has worked as a play-by-play announcer, studio host and field reporter for network and cable television. In recent years he has been a regular voice on the Tennis Channel and has called events for CBS Sports.

Broadcasting career and roles

Macatee's professional work spans local stations and national networks. Early in his career he served as sports director at a local television station, and later became a national correspondent and anchor. He has held on-air roles at NBC and USA Network and has been part of CBS's sports coverage. His responsibilities have included live play-by-play, in-studio hosting and sideline reporting.

Notable partnerships and event coverage

Macatee is often paired with well-known analysts when calling major events. For tennis broadcasts he has worked alongside former players and commentators such as John McEnroe and Mary Joe Fernandez. For golf telecasts he has been teamed with Ian Baker‑Finch, and for NFL game coverage he has partnered with analysts like Steve Tasker. His event portfolio includes:

  • PGA Tour telecasts and other professional golf coverage (PGA Tour)
  • Major tennis tournaments and week‑to‑week tennis coverage
  • National Football League broadcasts and studio segments
  • College sports, including college football and college basketball (college football, college basketball)
  • Major League Baseball reporting (MLB) and special programming such as bowling telecasts

Tenure at networks and special assignments

While at NBC, Macatee provided live reports and hosted studio coverage for a variety of sports, including NFL games, college football, Major League Baseball and tennis. During his time at USA Network he covered events ranging from PGA Tour tournaments to figure skating and boxing, and contributed to coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics (2006 Winter Olympics). For CBS he has been part of the network's college basketball schedule and special sports programs.

Early life and personal notes

Macatee was born in Rome, New York (Rome, NY) on November 17, 1955, and grew up in El Paso, Texas (El Paso, TX). His early interest in sports journalism led him into local television before moving to national assignments. His personal life has been covered intermittently by the media; he was once married to the actress India Allen and maintains connections within the broadcasting community.

Style and reputation

Colleagues and viewers recognize Macatee for a clear, steady announcing style suited to play-by-play and studio hosting. Over decades on air he has adapted to different sports and broadcast formats, from long-form event coverage to shorter studio segments. His versatility—calling tennis one week, golf the next and contributing to football coverage—has been a defining feature of his career.

For more about his broadcasts and schedule, networks often list recent assignments and analyst pairings on their sports pages and program guides.