Matt Napolitano, Rising Fox News Star and Game Show Fanatic, Dies Suddenly at 33

Matt Napolitano was an accomplished journalist and anchor who built an impressive career in a short period of time. Though his life was sadly cut short at the age of 33, Napolitano left his mark on the field of broadcast news.

After getting his start in sports reporting, Napolitano quickly rose through the ranks at Fox News. He served as an anchor and reporter across multiple platforms including radio, digital audio, and television. Highly regarded for his versatility and work ethic, Napolitano contributed to breaking news coverage, hosted his own segments, wrote scripts, and produced pieces.

In just over 7 years with Fox News, he demonstrated his journalistic skills on a daily basis. Napolitano was passionate about the news and thrived in a fast-paced environment. He immersed himself in topics he covered in order to provide insightful analysis. Napolitano’s colleagues praised him for being resourceful and enterprising.

Though his promising career was cut short, Napolitano made his mark and inspired those around him. His talents, determination, and dedication to journalism will be remembered.

Matt Napolitano Early Career

Napolitano began his career at Fox News in 2015 as a writer for Fox News Headlines 24/7, the company’s Sirius XM radio channel. Though just starting out, he demonstrated a strong aptitude for audio news reporting and quickly established himself as an asset to the news team.

As a writer, Napolitano honed his skills at crafting concise yet compelling news summaries. He also gained valuable experience producing snappy segments optimized for radio and understanding how to engage listeners through his writing. This early role laid the foundation for Napolitano’s later success as an on-air anchor and reporter.

Advancement at Fox News

Napolitano joined Fox News in 2015 as a writer for its Sirius XM channel, Fox News Headlines 24/7. He demonstrated talent right away, quickly advancing from writer to sports reporter for the audio channel. The speed of his promotion underscored his aptitude for radio journalism.

Within just months of being hired, Napolitano proved himself ready to take on an on-air role. As sports reporter, he provided coverage and analysis around major sporting events and athletes. The position allowed him to gain valuable experience crafting segments tailored specifically for radio audiences. It was an important stepping stone at the start of his career at Fox News.

Napolitano left Fox News

Napolitano left Fox News as a full-time employee for a few months in 2022 but returned in November of that year as Fox stepped up plans to expand its audio content operations. The brief hiatus allowed Napolitano to explore other opportunities in the field of journalism and audio production.

However, the draw to return to Fox News proved strong given the new initiatives in audio that aligned with Napolitano’s skills and interests. Fox News was eager to have Napolitano rejoin in light of the audio expansion, valuing his prior experience and contributions. By November, Napolitano was back on board, ready to help shape the future of Fox’s audio programming and production.

Napolitano Recent Roles

Napolitano returned to Fox News in November 2022 and immediately took on a larger role. He started working as an anchor and reporter, producing segments across all Fox News audio platforms. This allowed him to utilize his journalism training and experience. He wrote and produced original pieces, while also anchoring coverage.

Within the Fox News audio division, Napolitano contributed sports stories as part of the “Cavuto Coast to Coast” weekday series hosted by Neil Cavuto on Fox Business Network. His work provided sports perspectives for the business news program.

Additionally, Napolitano did voice work for Fox News Edge. This service delivers packaged news reports to Fox affiliate stations across the country. His voice talents helped expand the reach of Fox News coverage.

Other Contributions

In addition to his work as an anchor and reporter for Fox News Audio platforms, Napolitano wrote original segments for Neil Cavuto’s weekday show “Cavuto Coast to Coast” on the Fox Business Network. His contributions provided in-depth sports coverage and analysis for the program anchored by the veteran business journalist Cavuto.

Leveraging his strong knowledge of the sports world, Napolitano produced segments that delivered insightful commentary on the latest news and issues impacting major professional and college sports. This allowed him to showcase his versatility as a journalist skilled at covering both breaking news events as well as providing context through thoughtful analysis.

Having Napolitano regularly contribute segments enabled Cavuto’s show to expand its focus beyond just business and economic topics. It also gave viewers a fresh perspective shaped by Napolitano’s sports expertise and enthusiasm. Even after taking on a larger role at Fox News Audio, he continued to make time to write original pieces for Cavuto’s program up until shortly before his untimely passing.

Matt Voice Work

In addition to his on-air roles, Napolitano lent his voice to the Fox News Edge service. This service delivers news coverage and content packages to Fox affiliate stations across the country. His voiceover work allowed Napolitano to support the distribution of Fox News content to local stations, expanding the network’s reach and impact. Though he was not always in front of the camera, his unseen vocal contributions behind the scenes helped bolster Fox News’ audio offerings. Even without an on-screen presence, Napolitano’s voice work showcased his versatility and continued dedication to Fox News’ mission.

Praise for His Work

Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott offered a glowing assessment of Napolitano’s work in a memo announcing his passing to Fox employees. She praised Napolitano for being resourceful and enterprising as a journalist.

“Matt did everything from anchoring to writing and producing for our audio platforms and loved being able to work in the journalism field that he trained for his entire life,” Scott wrote. Her words honored Napolitano’s commitment to following his passion and using his skills to contribute impactful journalism across platforms during his time at Fox News.

Outside Interests

Napolitano was a dedicated and lifelong fan of the popular TV game show Jeopardy. He had dreamed of being a contestant on the show since he was a teenager. Napolitano was meticulous in his preparation to get on Jeopardy, going through the lengthy and competitive process of taking the online test multiple times and auditioning in person. His perseverance paid off in 2020 when he finally achieved his goal of appearing as a contestant on the popular quiz show.

Napolitano put his vast knowledge accumulated from years of watching Jeopardy to the test and performed well on the nationally televised episode. His appearance on Jeopardy fulfilled a long-held aspiration. Prior to that, Napolitano had also been a contestant on Wheel of Fortune in 2016. He made it all the way to the bonus round on that game show. Outside of his prolific career, Matt Napolitano indulged his passion for game shows by realizing his dreams of competing on both Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune.

Matt Napolitano Personal Life

Outside of his prolific career in journalism and broadcasting, Napolitano led a rich personal life. He achieved a major life milestone earlier this year when he married his husband Ricky in May 2022. The happy couple tied the knot surrounded by loved ones after several years of dating.

Napolitano was very open about his sexuality and comfortable embracing his identity as a gay man. His marriage to Ricky was an expression of his desire to live authentically. The wedding marked the public affirmation of a loving, committed relationship that brought Napolitano much joy and fulfillment.

Though his career was cut sadly short, Napolitano had the chance to experience the profound life event of getting married. His marriage to Ricky was a representation of the progress made in extending equal rights to LGBTQ individuals. Napolitano was able to legally wed the person he loved – something not too long ago denied to people based on sexual orientation.

While the tragic loss of Napolitano at such a young age is mourned by many, memories of his wedding just months ago will no doubt be treasured by his grieving husband. The marriage marked a new chapter of happiness for Napolitano that symbolized the openness and inclusion he promoted.