# Charly Arnolt
**Charly Arnolt** (born 1987) is an American sports broadcaster and television personality from [Indianapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/indianapolis), Indiana, known for her work as a WWE host and backstage interviewer under the ring name **Charly Caruso**, as a multi-platform host and reporter at ESPN, as a host at OutKick, and as a reporter for select UFC fights[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8322531/) • [2](https://seankelly.io/charly-arnolt-digital-social-hour/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1987, Indianapolis, Indiana[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8322531/) |
| WWE | Host and backstage interviewer as Charly Caruso, January 2016 to April 2021[3](https://contactout.com/charly-arnolt-96073) |
| ESPN | Joined part-time September 2018; full-time from early April 2021 under a multi-year contract; tenure ran through October 2023[4](https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/multi-platform-host-reporter-charly-arnolt-joins-espn-full-time-as-part-of-multi-year-contract-extension/) • [3](https://contactout.com/charly-arnolt-96073) |
| OutKick | Joined April 2023; launched the weekday morning show OutKick the Morning in September 2023[5](https://www.outkick.com/person/a/charly-arnolt) • [6](https://www.foxnews.com/media/outkick-morning-charly-arnolt-brings-no-holds-barred-approach-new-sports-culture-show) |
| UFC | Reporter for select UFC fights since July 2022; in 2024 became the first female ring announcer in UFC[3](https://contactout.com/charly-arnolt-96073) • [2](https://seankelly.io/charly-arnolt-digital-social-hour/) |
| Education | Summa cum laude graduate of American University with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism; NASM certified personal trainer[5](https://www.outkick.com/person/a/charly-arnolt) |
## Early career in local television
After studying broadcast journalism at [American University](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-university) in Washington, D.C., Arnolt reported for television stations in Washington, D.C.; [Huntington, West Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/huntington-west-virginia); Indianapolis, Indiana; and [Kansas City, Missouri](https://www.edgepedia.org/kansas-city-missouri). Immediately before signing with WWE, she held a position at WXIN-TV in Indianapolis, the city where she was born, working weekends as a sports anchor.[7](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2018/10/charly-caruso-joins-espn-646413/) Her local work included morning live reporting at WDAF-TV in Kansas City from November 2011 to November 2013 and weekend sports anchoring and weekday sports reporting at WXIN-TV from December 2013 to November 2015[3](https://contactout.com/charly-arnolt-96073). She also co-hosted the nationally syndicated radio show The Bob and Tom Show and hosted her self-created web series "BackTalk Ball," which combined sports, entertainment, and comedy[8](https://the.team/speaker/charly-arnolt/).
## WWE (2016 to 2021)
Arnolt first made a splash covering all the action in NXT in early 2016, and soon after that became part of the backstage announce crew for Raw under the name Charly Caruso[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8322531/) • [9](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/charly-caruso). She has described a storyline with [Zelina Vega](https://www.edgepedia.org/zelina-vega) and [Angel Garza](https://www.edgepedia.org/angel-garza) as her favorite WWE memory, calling it the most involved in a storyline she had been and a chance to do a little acting rather than just asking questions[10](https://www.tvinsider.com/993140/charly-arnolt-caruso-wwe-espn/).
## ESPN (2018 to 2023)
Arnolt joined ESPN in September 2018 while still under WWE contract, hosting select editions of First Take, SportsCenter updates, and the [SportsCenter](https://www.edgepedia.org/sportscenter) show on Snapchat[4](https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/multi-platform-host-reporter-charly-arnolt-joins-espn-full-time-as-part-of-multi-year-contract-extension/). She confirmed at the time that she was not leaving WWE, which she considered her home[7](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2018/10/charly-caruso-joins-espn-646413/).
In January 2021 she launched First Take, Her Take, ESPN's first all-female driven podcast, alongside Kimberley A. Martin and [Chiney Ogwumike](https://www.edgepedia.org/chiney-ogwumike)[5](https://www.outkick.com/person/a/charly-arnolt). On March 29, 2021, ESPN announced she would join the network full-time beginning in early April under a multi-year contract extension, ending her roughly five-year WWE tenure; she said her WWE contract was coming up and she was leaving on a positive note[4](https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/multi-platform-host-reporter-charly-arnolt-joins-espn-full-time-as-part-of-multi-year-contract-extension/) • [10](https://www.tvinsider.com/993140/charly-arnolt-caruso-wwe-espn/).
**Pulling double duty.** Juggling the two jobs was demanding. She described days of hosting First Take in the morning, waking at 6 a.m. for hair and makeup, filming, and then getting on a plane to travel to Raw that night[10](https://www.tvinsider.com/993140/charly-arnolt-caruso-wwe-espn/). At ESPN she contributed to First Take, SportsCenter, SportsNation on ESPN+, the international show NFL Blitz, and other digital shows[4](https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/multi-platform-host-reporter-charly-arnolt-joins-espn-full-time-as-part-of-multi-year-contract-extension/) • [8](https://the.team/speaker/charly-arnolt/). Her ESPN tenure ended in October 2023[3](https://contactout.com/charly-arnolt-96073).
## UFC and OutKick (2022 to present)
Arnolt began working as a reporter for select UFC fights in July 2022 and has continued in that role alongside her other work[3](https://contactout.com/charly-arnolt-96073) • [8](https://the.team/speaker/charly-arnolt/). She joined OutKick in April 2023 to develop and co-host a new weekday morning show covering sports, pop culture, news, and politics[5](https://www.outkick.com/person/a/charly-arnolt).
**OutKick the Morning** premiered on September 7, 2023, timed to the start of the NFL season, airing weekdays at 8 a.m. ET from New York City across OutKick's platforms, including Facebook, X, and YouTube, and as a podcast[6](https://www.foxnews.com/media/outkick-morning-charly-arnolt-brings-no-holds-barred-approach-new-sports-culture-show) • [11](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outkick-the-morning-with-charly-arnolt/id1705903093). It was the first time she hosted her own show[12](https://www.outkick.com/culture/charly-arnolts-outkick-the-morning-show-debuts-today-its-game-on). Arnolt told Fox News Digital she was excited to talk about stories exactly as she saw them instead of having to skirt around issues or worry about backlash[6](https://www.foxnews.com/media/outkick-morning-charly-arnolt-brings-no-holds-barred-approach-new-sports-culture-show). She has also been a recurring guest on Hannity, FOX & Friends, and Varney & Co.[13](https://media.foxadsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/30165927/Sponsorship-Opportunities.pdf)
Her UFC work produced a notable first. At UFC Vegas 91 on April 27, 2024, announcer Joe Martinez fell ill just before the main card went live on ESPN, and a producer asked Arnolt, who was working as the cage-side reporter and post-fight interviewer, to fill in. She later said she was initially scared of botching an announcement on national television[14](https://fightersonly.com/article/ext/92806/Q%2526A). In 2024 she became the first female ring announcer in UFC[2](https://seankelly.io/charly-arnolt-digital-social-hour/).
## Other work
Outside broadcasting, Arnolt founded Bring Your Own Vibe, a company built around gratitude and mindset[2](https://seankelly.io/charly-arnolt-digital-social-hour/). She is a NASM certified personal trainer and lists fitness among her speaking topics[5](https://www.outkick.com/person/a/charly-arnolt) • [8](https://the.team/speaker/charly-arnolt/).
## References
1. [Charly Arnolt, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8322531/)
2. [Charly Arnolt on the Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly](https://seankelly.io/charly-arnolt-digital-social-hour/)
3. [Charly Arnolt, ContactOut profile](https://contactout.com/charly-arnolt-96073)
4. [Multi-Platform Host & Reporter Charly Arnolt Joins ESPN Full Time as Part of Multi-Year Contract Extension, ESPN Press Room (March 29, 2021)](https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/multi-platform-host-reporter-charly-arnolt-joins-espn-full-time-as-part-of-multi-year-contract-extension/)
5. [Charly Arnolt, OutKick](https://www.outkick.com/person/a/charly-arnolt)
6. ['OutKick The Morning' with host Charly Arnolt brings no-holds-barred approach to new sports, culture show, Fox News (September 6, 2023)](https://www.foxnews.com/media/outkick-morning-charly-arnolt-brings-no-holds-barred-approach-new-sports-culture-show)
7. [Charly Caruso Joins ESPN, Says That She Is Still With WWE, Wrestling Inc (October 4, 2018)](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2018/10/charly-caruso-joins-espn-646413/)
8. [Charly Arnolt Speaker Booking Information, THE·TEAM](https://the.team/speaker/charly-arnolt/)
9. [Charly Caruso, WWE.com](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/charly-caruso)
10. [Charly Arnolt Opens Up About Making the Jump From WWE to ESPN Full-Time, TV Insider (March 31, 2021)](https://www.tvinsider.com/993140/charly-arnolt-caruso-wwe-espn/)
11. [Outkick the Morning with Charly Arnolt, Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outkick-the-morning-with-charly-arnolt/id1705903093)
12. [Charly Arnolt's OutKick The Morning Show Debuts Today: 'It's Game On', OutKick (September 6, 2023)](https://www.outkick.com/culture/charly-arnolts-outkick-the-morning-show-debuts-today-its-game-on)
13. [Fox Advertising Sponsorship Opportunities (April 2024)](https://media.foxadsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/30165927/Sponsorship-Opportunities.pdf)
14. [The Talent Helping UFC Win The Live TV Wars, Fighters Only, Issue 225 (January 2026)](https://fightersonly.com/article/ext/92806/Q%2526A)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Broadcasting and journalism › Broadcast organizations and stations › Broadcasters as people › Sports announcers and team broadcasters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license