Sam Champion Biography & Net Worth

Sam Champion Biography & Net Worth

Sam Champion is an American weather reporter who is best known for his combined twenty-five-year career on Good Morning America and the ABC flagship station WABC-TV. Formerly, he co-anchored 23.5 Degrees With Sam Champion on The Weather Channel and AMHQ: America’s Morning Headquarters. After his final day with ABC on December 4, 2013, he assumed the position of managing editor of The Weather Channel on January 1, 2014. He also appeared on the Today show on NBC. In 2016 after leaving the Weather Channel and NBC, he returned to ABC as a fill-in reporter and returned in 2019 to become the morning and noon weather anchor at WABC-TV, reporting during weekdays.

Champion is undoubtedly one of the most versatile American reporters at the moment. He started in 1988 as the weekend and 5:00 p.m. weather anchor at Eyewitness News, eventually becoming taking over as the main weather reporter for the 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. newscasts. Before joining WABC-TV, he worked at WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky as a weekend anchor and news reporter.  He began his career at WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky as an intern, and earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast news upon graduating from Eastern Kentucky University. In 2006, Sam began working as the weather anchor for Good Morning America. In his capacity as Weather Editor and anchor, he also built ABC News’s Weather, Environment, and Climate Unit, and oversaw all weather, environmental, and climate coverage and content on all platforms of the network. In 2012, he became the Weather Channel’s Managing Editor, and created and anchored a 4-hour morning show, AMHQ, and a climate and science interview show in prime time, 23.5. He returned home after achieving breakthrough at other organizations, and joined WABC in 2019, and commenced working as the weather anchor for Eyewitness News This Morning

Sam Champion’s Early Life & Education

Samuel James Champion was born to Sylvia and James H. Champion on August 13, 1961, in Paducah, Kentucky, United States. He was brought up in Paducah along with his only sibling, a sister named Teresa. His father, who passed away in October 2010, was a lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps and had served in Vietnam.

He attended Fairfax High School in Fairfax, Virginia, graduating in 1979. He then graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a B.A. in broadcast news before interring at WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky.

Broadcasting Career

Sam Champion spent a brief time at WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky, and also at WJKS (later WCWJ) in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1988, he joined WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News in New York City as a weather forecaster. For a salary of 1.5 million dollars per year, he joined Good Morning America in 2004.

In August 2006, Good Morning America publicized that Champion would join the show and ABC News starting from September 5, 2006. On December 2, 2013, Champion announced his departure from ABC to become a managing editor and an on-air presence at The Weather Channel. His position was immediately occupied by Ginger Zee.

On April 7, 2008, Champion debuted as the presenter of Sea Rescue, an informational and educational program in Litton’s Weekend Adventure that centers on the rescue, rehabilitation, and in some instances release of animals back into the wild.

He had occasionally appeared on shows like CNN’s Larry King Live, the daily talk show produced by WABC-TV, and Live with Kelly and Ryan.

Shortly following his departure from Good Morning America, it was announced that Sam Champion would join The Weather Channel to handle his own morning program America’s Morning Headquarters which premiered on March 17, 2014. In September 2015, it was revealed that he would leave AMHQ to work on its primetime programs as a contributor. In December the following year, Champion and The Weather Channel entered an agreement not to renew their contract. As a result, the anchor left the company on December 27, 2016.

He returned to ABC during the maternity leave of his replacement, Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee, as a fill-in weather presenter on Good Morning America. On May 22, 2019, it was published that Champion would be making a return to WABC-TV as the presenter of the network’s morning and afternoon newscasts while also contributing to ABC News, effective June 3, 2019.

Awards & Achievements

The American weather reporter, Sam Champion, who is best known for his combined twenty-five-year association with Good Morning America and the ABC flagship station WABC-TV, has won several awards in respect to his works in the journalism field. So far, he has won the Emmy Awards four times from several nominations. He also received a Peabody Award for his remarkable and highly-appreciated “Sandy Coverage”.

Personal Life & Family

Mr. Champion and his partner of many years, Rubem Robierb, tied the nuptial knots on December 21, 2012, and have been joined in matrimony for nearly a decade.

On his side, personally, the weatherman is very active in many charitable organizations in the United States, particularly in the New York City area. He hosted the New York City Anti-Violence Project’s “Courage Awards” in 2002 along with movie critic Frank DeCaro. He was master of ceremonies of “Stopping AIDS Together”, the chairperson of the 25th annual March of Dimes NYC WalkAmerica, and the Grand Marshal of the Sclerosis Society Fall Bike Tour.

In May 2010, while on-air, Champion had a basal cell carcinoma removed from his skin after previous bouts with the disease.

Sam Champion Net Worth

Born and raised in Kentucky in the United States, this American weatherman, Sam Champion, has been able to accumulate a net worth of over $10 million (according to celebritynetworth) from several different endeavors, mostly related to his journalism profession.

Unlike many other weather forecasters, Sam does not have a degree in meteorology. His knowledge in forecasting the weather has been gained through working as a broadcaster, and he has performed nearly perfectly on the job for more than 25 years. He has worked for such stations as WCWJ in Florida and WPSD-TV in Kentucky after starting off as an intern with WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky. He gained a wider audience when he joined WABC-TV and “Eyewitness News” in New York as the weatherman. In addition to his remarkable broadcasting work, Champion is also active with several charitable foundations, and will not only be remembered for his preferment in journalism but also for his generous side as well.