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Fox Sports activities studio host Charissa Thompson spends her NFL offseason with cattle, horses, geese, sheep, a pig, 5 cats and 5 canine.
From about February till August, Thompson retreats to Ruby Ranch, a 75-acre ranch positioned in Emerald Metropolis, Calif., that she bought in 2021, the place the rescued animals reside.
Thompson, who hosts Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night time Soccer” pre- and postgame exhibits, mentioned her life as a rancher in an interview with The Submit forward of Tremendous Bowl 2026.
“As tacky because it sounds, it fulfills me. It actually balances the dimensions of the world I reside in, which is nice — TV, lights and make-up,” Thompson stated whereas talking on behalf of her Tremendous Bowl industrial for Bounty.
“Then, on the opposite facet, it’s this very simplistic nature [and] getting again to the actual stuff. It balances the dimensions. It makes me so pleased. But it surely additionally motivates me to proceed doing the opposite half that I really like, which is sports activities and tv normally. I can’t have one with out the opposite. And I’m not a mother and I’m not going to have children, so I really feel like that feeds my maternal intuition there too. And truthfully, no matter mess is there, as a result of there’s all the time messes on the ranch, I can use these dangerous boys [Bounty paper towels] to scrub it up.”
The Bounty industrial exhibits Thompson consuming wings with former NFL tight finish Rob Gronkowski, who crashed The Submit’s interview and gushed over his Fox Sports activities colleague.
Each Thompson and Gronkowski have been in Santa Clara, Calif. for the Tremendous Bowl 2026 festivities forward of Sunday’s huge sport between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots.
The pair labored Tremendous Bowl 2025 in New Orleans because it was broadcast by Fox.
The community will subsequent broadcast the Tremendous Bowl in 2028.
Thompson — the co-host of the “Calm Down” podcast along with her greatest good friend and veteran Fox Sports activities sidelines reporter Erin Andrews — labored her ultimate sport of the 2025 season on Jan. 13 with Amazon.
“The origin story behind that is I simply all the time beloved animals,” she stated. “However then I began watching ‘Yellowstone’ and I used to be like, ‘Oh my god, ranches are cool!’ … I simply saved on the lookout for ranches that have been in California that I may drive to.
“It’s positively a ardour undertaking to how I want I may save all these animals. The extra [animals] I save, I wish to save extra. It’s addicting. I’ll take the [animal] forged off on the facet of the street, or the random sheep that have been going to be bought as a result of they bought the barn or the ranch subsequent to mine. Anyhow, I simply really feel prefer it’s my lease on earth is to present again.”
“It changed into now my dream animal rescue [project]. So I work to subsidize the ranch as a result of I do need to have individuals there that deal with it full time, and I’m grateful that I can try this.”
All proceeds from the merchandise bought at Ruby Ranch assist animal rescue.
Though it’s a ardour undertaking, it’s additionally a enterprise.
When Thompson isn’t at her ranch, from September via January, she has workers that look after the animals and maintenance on the property.
“I’ve two full-time staff after which there’s like three different ones that form of give them breaks in between after I’m in my soccer season,” she stated. “When it’s not soccer season, clearly I attempt to be there as a lot as I can.
“So far as animals, I imply, if we’re counting chickens, then God is aware of what number of I even have,” she stated laughing. “There are six cattle, 4 horses, two geese, two sheep, one pig, 5 cats and 5 canine.
“… Now to the chicken depend, I’ve a number of peacocks. However chickens, there’s like 45 of them. And I’m within the strategy of getting goats.”
Thompson’s boyfriend of three years, Steve Cundari — who’s a founder and accomplice of Summit Home, a enterprise studio of specialised businesses to assist develop manufacturers that’s primarily based in Los Angeles — additionally takes care of the ranch throughout the NFL season.
Thompson and Cundari, who met via his school pals, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his spouse Kelly Stafford.
Final 12 months, they labored collectively on the ranch, the place Cundari’s firm filmed Thompson’s advert for XXIO, the Japanese premium golf model that introduced her as an envoy.
Ruby Ranch contains Thompson’s residence, a visitor cottage, backyard, saloon, boathouse and common retailer — all of which she designed.
The ranch, in addition to the final retailer, is called after the ruby purple slippers worn by “The Wizard Of Oz” character, Dorothy.
“I’ve all the time beloved the film, ‘The Wizard of Oz,’” Thompson stated. “I really like the concept there’s no place like residence. For me, I’ve all the time traveled. So coming again residence, wherever which may be, or no matter you make your house is the place that ought to really feel protected.
“It’s additionally why the inside design firm I began was referred to as Home & Residence, as a result of I feel that wherever you reside, it’s best to like it. So, that was the impetus of Ruby Ranch being primarily based off the ruby slippers.”
Thompson’s industrial with Bounty will air throughout Tremendous Bowl 2026 on NBC.
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