Fox 32 promotes Cassie Carlson to lead sports anchor

She replaces Lou Caneills in the role and becomes the face of Bears coverage

Northwest-suburban Palatine native Cassie Carlson has been promoted by Fox-owned WFLD-TV (Fox 32) to lead sports anchor, succeeding the since-departed Lou Canellis in the role. She will also become the face of Chicago Bears coverage, as the station is the team’s official partner. 

In a statement, Carlson said “It’s an honor and a dream come true to have the opportunity to lead the Fox Chicago sports team. Growing up in Chicago, I fell in love with sports because of the passion of this city, especially Sundays during Bears season. This city shaped me.”

Carlson will anchor Bears’ coverage including Bears GameDay Live, Bears GameNight Live, Bears Blitz, and The Offseason. She will also host the weekly 1st & Ten, which features a roundtable discussion about the week in the NFC North with sports anchors from Fox’s other owned stations in Detroit (WJBK), Minneapolis (KMSP), and Milwaukee (WITI) and will continue to anchor Chicago Sports Tonight, which airs weeknights on Fox Chicago Plus (WPWR-TV) and the Fox Local App. 

“Cassie is whip smart, a natural leader, creative, and full of the energy we need to take our sports team to the next level and into the digital age,” said WFLD Chicago Vice-President of News Sean O’Heir.

Carlson becomes only the second woman to lead a big-market television station’s sports department with former NBC-owned WMAQ-TV’ sports anchor Leila Rahimi becoming the first. A University of Illinois grad, Carlson joined Fox 32 in 2002 from Gray-owned NBC affiliate WMC Memphis, and started her career at KJTV Lubbock, Tex. 

For now, the only other person in Fox 32’s sports department is Tina Nugyen, who joined the station in January 2024 from Scripps-owned ABC affiliats KTNV Las Vegas, Nev.