In April 2022, Rachel Hopmayer joined Spectrum News 1 as a Sports Reporter/MMJ in Buffalo, NY. Her reporting focuses on the Buffalo Sabres beat while also shooting Bills games and telling feature stories about the Bisons, Bandits, and more local teams.

Rachel came to Buffalo from Green Bay, WI where she was a hybrid News and Sports Multimedia Journalist for two years. Her solo MMJ coverage that she produced, wrote, shot, edited and reported live from included the Bucks’ NBA Finals run, 2020 Ryder Cup, Packers second-consecutive NFC Championship appearance, and the 2020 Presidential Election.

Previously, she was a freelance Digital Producer and linear PA at NBC Sports Washington where she covered the Washington Football Team, Capitals, Wizards and Nationals along with the Baltimore Ravens, Orioles and Maryland Terrapins. Her daily assignments spanned from writing stories for the regional sports network’s website to building television graphics and social content production. Notable projects included producing NBCSW’s social presence at FedExField for Redskins home games from pregame sidelines to postgame interviews in locker rooms as well as Premier Lacrosse League, 2018 MLB All-Star Game, and ArenaBowl XXXI. She also spent a season with the Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League as their On-Field Host and Team Reporter.

A member of the American University Class of 2018, Rachel earned her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and minored in Marketing with a focus on sports and entertainment business endeavors through the McKinley School of Communication and Kogod School of Business. During her academic tenure in the District, Rachel interned with the Washington Capitals under Don Fishman, Assistant GM and Director of Legal Affairs. Over her summer in the Hockey Operations department, Rachel researched and compiled statistical analysis of players throughout the NHL, established comparables, and drafted briefs used in contract negotiations, extensions and salary arbitration throughout the 2017-2018 season, directly contributing to multiple future player contracts. However, it isn’t D.C. without some political coverage thrown in — Rachel also covered key moments in D.C. including the 2016 presidential election, protest movements, and Senate Intelligence hearings.

Growing up in Boston exposed Rachel to the depths of diehard fandom, where storytelling mattered most throughout exemplary wins and crushing losses. After a childhood immersed in satellite trucks, green screens, and news desks, Rachel officially rooted her career in live sports television production while in high school as a runner, PA, stage manager, and utility for prestigious shows like Wednesday Night Rivalry, Sunday Night Football, Football Night in America and more throughout NHL and NFL regular and postseasons in the Boston market. These opportunities only grew when she relocated to D.C. for college; her first opportunities to produce branded social media elements were at the 2015 NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park, and again at the 2016 NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium. These experiences ultimately serve as the platform for Rachel’s skillset in multi-platform content creation.

When she’s not at any given game, you can find Rachel with her cat, exploring new restaurants, or blasting Bruce Springsteen.