Craig Melvin is celebrating wife Lindsay Czarniak’s latest broadcasting move with three enthusiastic words: “Stoked. Happy. Proud.”
The veteran sportscaster, 48, has officially joined CBS Sports HQ as a host, making her debut on the 24-hour streaming sports network on Sunday, August 9. A CBS Sports representative said her role is currently focused on HQ, where viewers can expect to see her several times each week.
Melvin, 47, announced the news to his own followers on Instagram. “Some breaking family news: CBS Sports Adds Lindsay Czarniak as a Host for @CBSSportsHQ,” the Today co-anchor wrote before revealing that her debut would air at 7:30 p.m. ET and adding, “Stoked. Happy. Proud.”
The celebration came less than a week after the married broadcasters shared an unusual television moment of their own. Melvin interviewing Czarniak on Today about her new Investigation Discovery series Game Day Murders.
Craig Shared the News With Three Words
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Melvin’s August 9 Instagram post featured the CBS Sports announcement welcoming Czarniak as a new host for CBS Sports HQ. “Stoked. Happy. Proud,” he wrote.
Czarniak’s new role adds another major network to a career that has included ESPN, NBC Sports and Fox Sports. CBS Sports HQ is the network’s 24-hour streaming sports news service, with programming built around breaking news, highlights, analysis and live studio coverage.
The move also puts Melvin and Czarniak at two different major broadcast organizations. Melvin remains a principal weekday co-anchor of NBC’s Today, while Czarniak’s newest sports role is with CBS.
CBS Sports Is Familiar Territory for Czarniak
Although the CBS Sports HQ position is new, Czarniak has already worked with the network on several projects. In 2021, she hosted CBS Sports’ inaugural season of Superstar Racing Experience.
CBS Sports announced at the time that Czarniak would host all six races alongside a broadcast team that included Allen Bestwick, Brad Daugherty and Matt Yocum.
More recently, she contributed to CBS Sports’ July 18 USL Championship broadcast between the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Louisville City FC.
Her Resume Includes ESPN, Fox and Six Olympics
Czarniak brings more than two decades of sports broadcasting experience to the new position. Her official biography lists work across ESPN, NBC Sports, Fox Sports, CBS and CNN, with assignments covering the Olympics, Super Bowls, the Indianapolis 500, Major League Baseball, the NBA, NASCAR and horse racing.
She joined ESPN in 2011 and remained with the network until 2017, anchoring programs including SportsCenter, SportsNation and NASCAR Now. In 2013, she became the first woman to host ABC’s coverage of the Indianapolis 500. Czarniak later joined Fox Sports in 2019, where her work included NASCAR studio coverage and NFL sideline reporting.
She has also repeatedly returned to NBCUniversal for the Olympics. Milan Cortina 2026 marked her sixth Olympic assignment for NBC, where she served as a host for USA Network coverage. Her previous Olympic roles included the 2006 Torino Winter Games, 2008 Beijing Games, Tokyo Olympics, 2022 Beijing Winter Games and 2024 Paris Olympics.
Czarniak’s recent work has also moved beyond traditional sports coverage. She hosts the six-part Investigation Discovery series Game Day Murders, executive produced by Shaquille O’Neal, which examines murder cases connected to the sports world.
Craig Had to Interview His Own Wife Days Before Her CBS Debut
That project created an unusual assignment for Melvin on August 3 when Czarniak appeared on Today and her husband found himself interviewing her. “It’s always fun when you can interview your spouse,” Melvin joked as the segment began. “Not awkward at all.”
Czarniak immediately asked whether he felt funny about it. “I do feel funny,” Melvin admitted. She then told his co-hosts that her husband begins fidgeting when he is uncomfortable, while Melvin tried to steer the conversation back toward Game Day Murders.
When Melvin claimed he had given his wife no advice despite his own experience with true-crime television, Czarniak disagreed. She called him “a great sounding board” and said they had talked extensively about the production process because the genre was new for her.
“We did talk about that a lot because this is my first time being around this type of show,” Czarniak said. Melvin ended the interview with another short message of support. “I’m proud of you,” he told her. “Was that recorded?” Czarniak joked.
Lindsay Was There When Craig Took Over His Biggest ‘Today’ Role
When Melvin officially began his role as a Today co-anchor in January 2025, Czarniak and their two children surprised him in Studio 1A on his first day.
“What makes me so proud is just the person that Melvin is,” Czarniak said on air. “And understanding that it’s the kindness and how genuine he is … we’re just excited and pumped.” Melvin took over the position following Hoda Kotb’s departure and joined Savannah Guthrie as a principal co-anchor.
Czarniak and Melvin first met while working at NBC-owned WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., in 2008. They married on October 15, 2011, and share son Delano and daughter Sybil. Melvin later told People that marrying Czarniak was “the best thing that’s ever happened to me personally and professionally.” “She doesn’t just get me as a person, as a husband,” he said. “She understands the business.”