John Saunders, an on-air personality for ESPN and ABC for over four decades, has died, according to an announcement made Wednesday morning by SportsCenter.
He was 61 and no cause of death was given.
"John was an extraordinary talent and his friendly, informative style has been a warm welcome to sports fans for decades," ESPN president John Skipper said in a network-released statement.
Longtime host of Sunday's "The Sports Reporters," Saunders joined ESPN in 1986, and was a studio host and announcer for a variety of sports including college football, college basketball and the National Hockey League.
A Toronto native, he also served as a play-by-play announcer for the NBA's Raptors and worked in Canadian television and radio. He was a hockey player for Western Michigan University.
Saunders is survived by his wife, Wanda, and daughters, Aleah and Jenna.