Charissa Thompson is an American television host and sportscaster. She is known for her work with Fox Sports and Amazon Prime Video, where she covers sports events and hosts shows. Previously, Thompson worked for ESPN, Versus, GSN, and the Big Ten Network. Her notable roles include co-hosting SportsNation on ESPN, hosting Fox Sports Live on Fox Sports 1, and being one of the American hosts of Ultimate Beastmaster. She also co-hosted the entertainment news show Extra from 2014 to 2017.
May 4, 1982: Birth of Charissa Thompson
Charissa Jean Thompson was born on May 4, 1982.
2004: Graduation from UC Santa Barbara
Charissa Thompson graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Law and Society in 2004.
2007: Appearance in MLB All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade
Charissa Thompson appeared on baseball programs for FSN in 2007, including The 2007 MLB All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade.
2008: NFL Sideline Reporting and Hair Color Controversy
Charissa Thompson's first experience as an NFL sideline reporter was in 2008. During this time, she briefly dyed her hair black, a decision that drew attention and criticism from some sports blogs.
April 2009: Access DirecTV Cover and Interview with Cole Hamels
Charissa Thompson was featured on the cover of Access DirecTV's April 2009 issue, for which she interviewed Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels.
2009: Cancellation of "The Best Damn Sports Show Period"
"The Best Damn Sports Show Period", which Charissa Thompson co-hosted, was canceled in 2009.
July 2010: FIFA World Cup Coverage for Yahoo! Sports
Charissa Thompson covered the FIFA World Cup in South Africa for Yahoo! Sports in June and July 2010.
January 2011: BCS National Championship and Super Bowl Coverage for Yahoo! Sports
In January 2011, Charissa Thompson covered the BCS National Championship game and the Super Bowl for Yahoo! Sports.
January 30, 2011: NHL All-Star Game Coverage for Versus
Charissa Thompson covered the NHL All-Star Game for Versus on January 30, 2011.
June 2011: Joined ESPN
Charissa Thompson joined ESPN in June 2011.
September 12, 2011: Debut of "Numbers Never Lie" on ESPN
Charissa Thompson began co-hosting "Numbers Never Lie" with Michael Smith on ESPN; the show debuted on September 12, 2011.
July 2012: Became Host of "SportsNation"
Charissa Thompson replaced Michelle Beadle as host of "SportsNation" in July 2012 after Beadle left for NBC.
June 2013: Departure from ESPN
Charissa Thompson left ESPN to rejoin Fox Sports in June 2013.
August 17, 2013: Fox Sports 1 Debut
On August 17, 2013, Charissa Thompson became the host of Fox Sports Live on the new Fox Sports 1 network.
2013: Rejoined Fox Sports
Charissa Thompson returned to Fox Sports for the launch of Fox Sports 1 in 2013.
2013: Co-Host of "Splash"
Charissa Thompson co-hosted ABC's reality TV series "Splash" alongside actor Joey Lawrence in 2013.
2014: Joined "Extra" as Co-Host
Charissa Thompson became a co-host on the syndicated television show "Extra" in 2014.
2014: Co-Host on Extra
Charissa Thompson joined the syndicated entertainment news show "Extra" as a co-host in 2014.
May 2015: Hosted "Barstool Spelling Bee"
Charissa Thompson hosted the "Barstool Spelling Bee" in May 2015.
2016: HBO Interview About Hair Color Controversy
In 2016, Charissa Thompson gave an interview with HBO where she recalled the controversy surrounding her decision to dye her hair black in 2008.
2016: Hosted "Ultimate Beastmaster" and Joined Top Rank Broadcasting
In 2016, it was announced that Charissa Thompson would host Netflix's "Ultimate Beastmaster". She also joined Top Rank's broadcasting team for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jessie Vargas pay-per-view event.
2017: Departure from "Extra"
Charissa Thompson's time as co-host on "Extra" ended in 2017.
January 2018: Nude Photo Leak and Legal Action
In January 2018, Charissa Thompson's nude photos were leaked online after her iCloud account was hacked. She pursued legal action after the incident and later spoke about it in an interview with The Athletic.
2018: Became Host of "NFL Films Presents"
Charissa Thompson replaced Katie Nolan as the host of "NFL Films Presents" on FS1 in 2018.
2019: Clarified Information on Wikipedia Article
Charissa Thompson spoke about her Wikipedia article in 2019, clarifying that she was not a trapeze artist as the article previously stated.
January 2020: Engagement to Kyle Thousand
Charissa Thompson became engaged to sports agent Kyle Thousand in January 2020.
December 30, 2020: Marriage to Kyle Thousand
Charissa Thompson married sports agent Kyle Thousand on December 30, 2020.
April 2022: Separation and Divorce from Kyle Thousand
Charissa Thompson and Kyle Thousand separated after a year of marriage and divorced in April 2022.
November 2023: Admitted to Fabricating Sideline Reports
In an interview with Barstool Sports, Charissa Thompson admitted to fabricating aspects of her sideline reporting in November 2023, drawing criticism from other reporters and the Society of Professional Journalists.
November 17, 2023: Clarified Admission About Fabricated Reports
On November 17, 2023, Charissa Thompson posted a statement on Instagram to clarify her admission about fabricating reports, apologizing for "using the wrong words" and stating that she never attributed the fabricated observations to any player or coach.