ESPN Play-By-Play Voice Joe Buck Reportedly Locks In 6-Year, $108M Contract Extension

Joe Buck, a leading play-by-play voice and pillar of ESPN‘s NFL football coverage, is extending his contract.

The announcer has sealed a six-year, $108 million extension that will keep him at ESPN through 2032, The Athletic reported Wednesday. The former Fox mainstay, who switched networks in 2022, is set to call his first Super Bowl for ESPN in February and the extension would enable him to repeat that feat in 2031. The games are slated to air on both ESPN and ABC.

When contacted by Deadline about the report, ESPN sent a statement attributed to EVP of Communications Josh Krulewitz.

“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,” the statement said. “To that end, we won’t be addressing talent contract specifics publicly before the Super Bowl.”

Buck is in the final year of a contract worth $75 million over five years. The current contract of Troy Aikman, Buck’s former longtime Fox partner who made the leap with him to Monday Night Football in 2022, is set to expire after the Super Bowl.

With ratings healthy, advertising sales robust and team valuations continuing to climb, the media side of the NFL has seen multiple bidding wars break out for announcing talent both proven and otherwise. Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady commanded a reported $375 million from Fox after he retired.

For ESPN, whose ties with the NFL have grown stronger with the league taking a stake in the network in exchange for control of NFL Media assets, Buck has helped stabilize Monday Night Football after years of drift. Once a trailblazing broadcast program, it saw consistent turnover in the broadcast booth and soft ratings. Buck and Aikman, who spent two decades together calling games on Fox, brought instant credibility with them, and the league’s schedule makers have responded by giving ESPN many top-shelf games.

Along with continuing to shore up MNF, Buck’s new deal will cement his status as foundational talent at ESPN, along with Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee. Along with his NFL duties, Buck has also hosted a sports-themed version of Jeopardy! on Disney+ and also guest-hosted Good Morning America on ABC.