Palmer, a television broadcaster and former NFL quarterback, starred as “The Bachelor” himself in Season 5, which aired in 2004. bit.ly/3oiiajk 
Palmer has a longstanding relationship with ABC and Disney, as a sports commentator on ESPN and ABC, and special contributor on “Good Morning America.” bit.ly/3oiiajk
He is currently hosting ABC’s summer series “The Ultimate Surfer,” and he previously hosted the network’s reality series “The Proposal” in 2018. bit.ly/3oiiajk
Bringing Palmer into the fold creates synergy between one of Disney’s big money-makers — ESPN — and one of their most lucrative franchises — “The Bachelor” — and has potential to bring the college football audience into Bachelor Nation’s fandom. bit.ly/3oiiajk
“The Bachelor” bid farewell to Chris Harrison earlier this year after a controversy over racist photos of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, which Harrison defended in a now-infamous interview on “Extra” with former “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsey. bit.ly/3oiiajk
Harrison’s commentary garnered widespread criticism, causing him to apologize for causing “harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism.” He later stepped aside, stating, “I am ashamed over how uninformed I was. I was so wrong.” bit.ly/3oiiajk
The Harrison scandal continued to escalate for months, before he departed the franchise that he had hosted from its launch in 2002. Variety reported that Harrison received a $9 million payout. bit.ly/3oiiajk
The franchise has played a game of hosting musical chairs, with Emmanuel Acho leading the “After the Final Rose” episode for Matt James’ season, plus Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe hosting Katie Thurston and Michelle Young’s “Bachelorette” seasons. bit.ly/3oiiajk
Palmer’s first season hosting heads into production this week, and will air in the new year, as every season of the flagship series, “The Bachelor,” typically does. A source tells Variety that cameras start to roll tonight. bit.ly/3oiiajk
As Variety first reported, the next season of “The Bachelor,” hosted by Palmer, will star Clayton Echard, though ABC and Warner Bros. declined to comment on his casting. bit.ly/3oiiajk
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