Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Meghan McPeak grew up surrounded by the game of basketball. From a young age, Meghan was inspired to get active and become immersed in sports after watching her older brother in this world growing up. As she continued to solidify her love for the game, she strengthened her skills on the court and was able to utilize sports to help pay for college. This is where it all started. During her time at Humber College, Meghan solidified her interest in taking her talents to the sidelines, and decided to pursue a major in the school’s Radio Broadcasting program. It was only up from there! After graduating from college, she gained great experience in radio as a play-by-play broadcaster for McMaster University. From there, Meghan continued to step outside of her comfort zone and network with fellow professionals in the industry. Shortly after, she was brought on by MLSE and NBA TV Canada to the G-League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, the Raptors 905. After three seasons there, Meghan raised the bar again and pursued an incredible career opportunity with Monumental Sports & Entertainment in Washington, D.C. Currently, she is the play-by-play broadcaster for the 2019 WNBA Champions, the Washington Mystics, as well as the Capital City Go-Go—the G-League affiliate for the Washington Wizards.
How was that transition from college into sports broadcasting? What were some of the challenges that you faced early on?
Luckily for me, I didn’t really run into any struggles or troubles early on. As most people will tell you, the biggest hurdle was just trying to find work, a gig, or an opportunity. When I graduated, I was basically in a job six months later that I wanted to do as my career, and that is very, very uncommon. It is very seldom to graduate, and within a year, you are already in a role getting experience doing exactly what you see your future job and future career in. The downside to that was that I was not paid for it. It was four years of unpaid experience—it was an internship at the beginning where I was able to use it as a graduation internship that I needed for college, and I just kept sticking with it (afterwards). You know, as much as it sucks to not get paid, I am forever grateful for those four years of experience because it propelled my career faster than it may have gone—with the opportunities that I have been given and have worked hard to get along the way now that I am 11 years in.
In 2018, you became the first female play-by-play broadcaster in 30 years to call an NBA game. Could you share more with us about what that experience was like for you?
I wouldn’t say it was really an experience, I didn’t look at it that way. I looked at it as, “I have a job to do. I am going to do it to the best of my ability, and to the best that my talent will allow me to.” It just so happened that I also made history at the same time. I wasn’t and still am not focused on being a “trailblazer or pioneer” in that space. I understand the magnitude of it and respect the magnitude of it, but I try not to put too much into it. I would rather look at it from the standpoint of—if me doing the job and being in the role that I am in for the time being means that one little girl, or especially one little Black girl, happens to see me on TV one day and is inspired by it, then I have done my job. I have impacted someone’s life. That is really all I care about as well as just doing the job to an above-satisfactory level for my bosses. I honestly could care less about being the first, second, or twentieth (person), it really doesn’t matter to me. I am just happy that a door is open, and I am helping to keep the door open. I care more about impacting the next generation, and generations to come, than I do about making history. I know that it comes with it, but I will be happier if when it’s time for me to retire, I have impacted a little girl’s life—that (means) more than the accolades I have gotten.
How did you get started building your personal brand?
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