Storm happy to weather ABC’s Bachelor Winter Games

Hannah Storm has done it all during her remarkable television career, but the longtime SportsCenter anchor isn’t sure she’s ever had as much fun as she did while making a series that begins airing tonight.

Storm, who has covered Super Bowls, Olympics, NBA Finals and just about every major sporting event, will be seen over four nights in the new ABC series The Bachelor Winter Games, which debuts at 8 p.m. ET tonight. She joins Chris Harrison, longtime host of The Bachelor franchise, a former sportscaster himself – and sideline reporter Ashley Brewer to call the action as 26 bachelors and bachelorettes from around the world go head-to-head in winter-themed challenges in an idyllic Vermont setting.

“We’re actually at a desk commenting on the various and hilarious winter sports these people are trying to do,” Storm said.

“It was funny doing the commentary with Chris because we both dropped into sportscaster mode,” she said. “Of course we’re talking about things that are completely silly. But you’re also dealing with people who are very competitive. They were taking these events really seriously but hilarity ensued – people who’d never been on skates, never been on skis, never held a biathlon rifle of any kind were trying to do this.

“And all the while of course there’s this undercurrent of things that are happening off the field of play and those relationships and how they play out as they’re competing in sports,” she said. “I’ve got to say a lot of it is tongue-in-cheek and we had a total blast and it’s unlike any event I’ve ever covered.”

The series will continue on Thursday, Feb. 15; Tuesday, Feb. 20, and will have its finale on Thursday, Feb. 22, all airing at 8 p.m.

The series is timed to coincide with the Winter Olympics and in a twist, it puts Storm against her husband, NBC’s Dan Hicks, for four nights in prime time as he calls Olympic skiing.

“We have a Storm-Hicks head-to-head ratings battle,” she said. “It’s funny and kind of cute.”

The video excerpt above is courtesy of ABC/Warner Horizon.