As an experienced national television host and reporter in sports and lifestyle programming, Maura Farden has covered a variety of men’s and women’s sports for ESPN, NBC, Lifetime Television, USA Network, Versus, iVillage, Fox SportsNet and more. Her background as a former USA elite gymnast and captain of the powerful UCLA women’s gymnastics team led her to a career in sports television, where she was fortunate to cover many important “firsts” in the world of women’s sports.
In 1996, Maura was part of the first-ever women’s sports broadcasting team for Lifetime Television’s newly created Women’s Sports Division. Lifetime became one of the first networks (along with NBC and ESPN) to cover weekly WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) games when the league debuted in 1997. Maura served as Half-Time host and sideline reporter for Lifetime’s coverage of the WNBA. In her five years at Lifetime, she also hosted Lifetime’s women’s sports documentary series, “Breaking Through,” – a series that featured girls and women overcoming adversity to excel in sports and in life. In 1997, she covered the first-ever nationally televised women’s ice hockey game for Lifetime as an Intermission Reporter/Host. The game was a pre-Olympic match-up between Team USA and Team Canada as the teams prepared for the debut of women’s ice hockey as an Olympic sport in Nagano, Japan in 1998. Maura went on to cover everything from women’s college basketball and the LPGA to synchronized skating, triathlon and much more for the Lifetime Network.
The winner of two Gracie Allen Awards (given by AWRT – American Women in Radio and Television) and a Women’s Sports Foundation Award for excellence in sports reporting, Maura is also recognized as one of the 100 Significant UCLA Alumni. Corporate America has called on her to serve as a spokesperson, web video host and sales & training video host. Companies such as Gillette, Citibank, Comcast, Liberty Mutual, Ethan Allen and Staples continue to turn to Maura to deliver their message. She’s also pitched well-known brands in national advertising campaigns like Applebee’s, TV Land, and more.
Maura covered women’s gymnastics for over 10 years at ESPN and continues to host several shows on the The Newborn Channel, which air in hospitals nationwide. Maura Farden lives in Hingham with her husband and two daughters. To check out some of Maura’s on-air work, visit her website at mauradriscolltvhost.com