NBC 5 Chicago makes Lou Canellis' hiring official; he'll start Sunday

NBC 5 Chicago announced the hiring of former Fox 32 Chicago sports anchor Lou Canellis on Monday. Canellis will be part of the NBC 5 newscasts in the late afternoon and evening Monday-Thursday, as well as Sunday, when he also will host “Sports Sunday.” His first day on the air will be Sunday.

The Sun-Times reported last week that his hiring was close and that he was expected to start this week.

Canellis will appear on the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts during the week and the 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts Sunday, followed by “Sports Sunday” at 10:30. He becomes the station’s only full-time sports anchor after it fired Mike Berman last week, though he replaces Leila Rahimi, who left in October 2024, as the station's lead sports anchor. Jeff Blanzy and Kacy Standohar appear on a per-diem basis.

“Lou has established himself as one of the most respected and beloved voices in Chicago sports media history,” NBC 5 Chicago senior vice president of news Sally Ramirez said in a press release. “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.”

Said Canellis: “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. Joining the NBC 5 Chicago team is simply a dream come true for me.

“The chance to work with Chicago TV legends such as Allison Rosati, Stefan Holt, Brant Miller and Chuck Goudie, local news leaders like [president & general manager] Kevin Cross and Sally Ramirez, and so many others is like joining the best All-Star team in any sport. I can’t wait to bring my loyalty to our local teams and my passion for the work I love to NBC 5 Chicago.”

During the Olympics, Canellis also will co-anchor NBC 5’s lead-in show to the network’s prime-time coverage, “Olympic Zone,” which will air at 6:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday starting Feb. 7.

Canellis, who has a 40-plus-year career in sports media, had been with Fox 32 since 2009. In addition to anchoring, he hosted Bears pregame and postgame shows and programs such as “1st & North,” a roundtable discussion about the NFC North, and “Chicago Sports Tonight.” His departure leaves Cassie Carlson and Tina Nguyen as Fox 32’s on-air sports talent.