ESPN’s Joe Buck has agreed to a new contract worth more than $100 million that will keep him as the voice of “Monday Night Football” into the next decade, according to sources who spoke under anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the agreement.
The six-year extension is for around $108 million, the sources said, and means that Buck will not only call ESPN’s first Super Bowl this February, but also he will be on the mic for the network’s next one in 2031.
Buck’s yearly salary will rise from $15 million to around $18 million annually, according to the sources. He is in the final season of his current five-year, $75 million deal.
Buck’s partner, Troy Aikman, remains unsigned. Aikman’s five-year, $90 million contract with ESPN ends after the Super Bowl. Buck and Aikman are in their 25th season together, which is the longest-running booth pairing in NFL history.
“With this historic season for ESPN now underway, our entire focus is on bringing fans the best possible football coverage, culminating with our first Super Bowl,” ESPN executive vice president of communications Josh Krulewitz said. “To that end, we won’t be addressing talent contract specifics publicly before the Super Bowl.”
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Five years ago, Buck and Aikman were two of the biggest moves during the 2022 offseason, the most frenzied in NFL broadcasting history. After Aikman and Buck left Fox for five-year ESPN deals worth a combined $165 million, Fox promoted play-by-player Kevin Burkhardt to its No. 1 team and then inked Tom Brady to a 10-year, $375 million contract.
Joe Davis succeeded Buck as Fox’s play-by-play voice for the World Series. Fox has the rights to Fall Classic for the next three seasons, including this October. Buck called a record 24 World Series on Fox.
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro is interested in getting the rights to the World Series in 2029, according to sources briefed on ESPN’s plans, but not permitted to speak publicly. If ESPN were to swipe all or part of the World Series, Pitaro has told Buck he would like him to call it, the sources said. No provision in Buck’s new contract guarantees that happens.
With Disney-owned ESPN, Buck has also expanded outside of football, guest-hosting ABC’s “Good Morning America” and leading a sports version of “Jeopardy” on Disney+.
Buck is one of the highest-paid on-air personalities at ESPN. Stephen A. Smith makes $21 million per year from the network. Pat McAfee is in the midst of talks that could pay him as much as $65 million per year. The McAfee contract is partly a production deal, and the two sides are still checking off items to reach the number. As The Athletic recently reported, one example is that the NFL still needs to sign off on McAfee’s alternative “Monday Night Football” telecast.
The exact amount of the wide-ranging deal between ESPN and Peyton Manning and his Omaha Productions is not known, but it is believed to be in the same neighborhood as Brady and McAfee.
At the conclusion of his new deal, Buck will be 63 and have broadcast eight Super Bowls on TV. Al Michaels and Pat Summerall have been on the TV call for the most Super Bowls in history, with 11 each.
While Buck, 57, is now off the board, there is still a chance of another major transaction-filled sequel to the NFL TV talent madness of five years ago.
Joining Aikman in the final season of their NFL contracts are Amazon’s Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” crew of Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit; CBS’ No. 2 NFL game-caller Ian Eagle; Fox’s Greg Olsen and CBS’ interim No. 1 game analyst J.J. Watt.
Adding to the possible movement, CBS’ Tony Romo, who has four years and $72 million remaining on his contract, has been put on leave “until further notice” after his July arrest in Wisconsin for operating a vehicle under the influence. CBS has not said if Romo will return.
The 81-year-old Michaels — who has repeatedly said he will know when to put down his headset — could retire. Herbstreit does double duty on the NFL, ESPN’s “College GameDay” and its top Saturday game matchup. Eagle and Olsen have been primed to be announcers for networks’ No. 1 NFL games.
Eagle already is CBS’ NCAA’s Men’s Basketball Final Four and Prime Video’s NBA lead voice. Olsen has called a Super Bowl but is No. 2 on Fox’s depth chart after Brady. Watt, after shining with Eagle in his booth debut last season, is working with Jim Nantz this season. They had their debut this past Sunday in Minnesota.
Fox’s No. 3 Drew Brees, along with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, could be considered for top-tier NFL TV seats. Kelce and McVay would have to leave the field. Prime Video had major interest in McVay five years ago before settling on Herbstreit. Kelce has been considered a potential analyst and has increased his Q rating with his marriage to Taylor Swift.
