Rob Hatch

Rob Hatch is a British television sports commentator and broadcaster. Born in Accrington,[1] Hatch grew up in a sporty family.[2][3] He studied sports science at university,[1] and became a fan of professional cycling while working and travelling in Europe after university.[2] He subsequently did a broadcasting master's degree in Madrid with work experience in 2007 at Eurosport News.[1][2]

After working across several broadcast jobs, Hatch's first major cycling commentary was on the 2009 Giro d'Italia with Eurosport.[2] He subsequently became a regular commentator in cycling for Eurosport and their successor in the UK, TNT Sports, being the lead commentator for many major events, including the Tour de France.[3] He is a regular contributor to The Cycling Podcast. A resident of Majorca,[2] Hatch is fluent in several European languages and he is noted for his careful pronunciation of names in national or regional accents.[4][5]

Hatch won commentator of the year at the 2024 Broadcast Sport Awards,[3] but his appointment by TNT to commentate on the 2025/26 Ashes was met with scepticism due to his lack of experience in commentating on cricket.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Willgoss, Graham. "'The biggest problem in our business is ego': Rob Hatch Q&A". The Cyclist. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e "The Travelling Broadcaster". Angry Pablo. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  3. ^ a b c Ostelere, Lawrence. "TNT Sports' Rob Hatch: Of course I can commentate on the Ashes from afar – I called Mark Cavendish's 35th win from my house!". The Independent. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  4. ^ "Rob Hatch: commentary Ninja". Ragtime Cyclist. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  5. ^ "The column: In defence of… pronunciation policing". Rouleur.cc. Retrieved 22 April 2026.
  6. ^ Howson, Nick. ""Maybe viewers need convincing" - Rob Hatch's Ashes gig is not a leap into the unknown". The Cricketer. Retrieved 22 April 2026.