In
sports broadcasting, a
sports commentator (also known as
sports announcer,
sportscaster or
play-by-play announcer) gives a running commentary of a game or event in
real time, usually during a
live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the
historical present tense. The comments are normally a
voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of
television commentary, the commentators are on screen rarely if at all during the event (although they may appear on camera at the start or near the end of the broadcast).