Lou Canellis joins NBC 5 Chicago as main sports anchor

NBC’s Chicago station has announced that Lou Canellis has joined its team as primary sports anchor. 

Canellis joins WMAQ from WFLD, the Fox-owned station in the market, where he had worked since 2009. 

“Lou has established himself as one of the most respected and beloved voices in Chicago sports media history,” said Sally Ramirez, senior vice president of news for NBC Chicago and Telemundo Chicago, in a statement. “His knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm are second to none, and we couldn’t be happier to have him join our team of all‑stars at NBC 5.”

Reports that Canellis was close to jumping to WMAQ from WFLD have been circulating for several weeks, so the Jan. 26, 2026, announcement serves as confirmation of the move.

WMAQ has had only one full-time sports team member since Leila Rahimi was laid off in 2024. Mike Berman, who had been with the station as its sole on-air sports full-timer since 2016, was axed Jan. 21, 2026. The station had also been using freelancers Jeff Blanzy and Kacy Standohar to help round out its schedule.

Neither Berman, Blanzy or Standohar was ever given the title of primary sports anchor.

Canellis’ hire appears to be a key move in reshaping the station’s sports department, which has been through a bumpy few years. 

NBC shut down standalone RSN NBC Sports Chicago in 2024 after the last of the city’s major sports franchises’ broadcast rights were taken over by Chicago Sports Network, a move that continued the trend of major pro sports teams creating their own RSNs, often partnering with another media outlet to do so. This structure appeals to team ownership because it keeps those broadcasts closer to the vest while also potentially collecting a bigger share of advertising revenue, carriage fees and direct-to-consumer subscriptions than they would if they simply sold regional rights to a local station or RSN controlled by a third party.

WMAQ and NBC Sports Chicago shared many resources. 

Canellis’ deal calls for him to anchor NBC 5 News sports segments Monday through Thursday at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. He will also anchor at 5 and 10 p.m. on Sundays and helm “Sports Sunday,” a weekly sports roundup show.

Canellis joins the station’s primary anchor team featuring anchors Allison Rosati, Stefan Holt and chief meteorologist Brant Miller.

“As a Chicago kid who grew up in Oak Lawn, I told my dad my dream was to be a household name in my hometown — to be the next Mark Giangreco, Tim Weigel or Johnny Morris,” said Canellis in a statement. “Joining the NBC 5 Chicago team is simply a dream come true for me … I can’t wait to bring my loyalty to our local teams and my passion for the work I love to NBC 5 Chicago.”

In addition to his primary sports anchor responsibilities, Canellis and Rosati will co-anchor NBC 5 Chicago’s half-hour, primetime lead-in Olympics highlights and features program, “Olympic Zone,” throughout the upcoming 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

The show will air Monday through Saturday at 6:30 p.m. beginning Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026.

Canellis, has already put in 40 years in broadcasting, most recently as primary sports anchor at Fox 32 Chicago for 16 years. Canellis also hosted the station’s nightly sports program, “Chicago Sports Tonight,” along with its Chicago Bears game day coverage.

Canellis’ work in the 1990s included serving as executive producer and pre-game and halftime host for the Chicago Bulls Radio Network and the Chicago White Sox Radio Network, heard locally on AM radio.

From 1993 to 1997, Canellis quickly became a household name in Chicago when he joined the regional sports television network, SportsChannel, handling pregame and postgame duties, along with being an in-game sideline reporter, which featured his exclusive, on-court postgame interviews with Michael Jordan.

Canellis also spent seven years as a sports talk host at WMVP AM 1000 from 1996 to 2003, and eight years as an entertainment reporter on WLS’s “190 North.”

He additionally handled college basketball play‑by‑play for ESPN for 13 seasons from 1998 to 2011 and anchored Summer Olympics programming for Westwood One in 1996 and ABC Radio in 2000.

Canellis earned his bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago in speech with a radio, TV and film concentration. He resides in Chicago with his wife Monica and daughter Gia.

This story has been updated with more context and detail.