• Loading stock data...
Friday, October 17, 2025
exclusive
Media

ESPN Set To Officially Announce Troy Aikman, Joe Buck Deals

  • Aikman poised to surpass Tony Romo as highest-paid broadcaster in Sports.
  • Aikman and Buck have reigned as Fox’s No. 1 NFL announce team for 20 years.

ESPN will  officially announce the hiring of Troy Aikman and Joe Buck from rival Fox Sports as early as Tuesday afternoon, sources tell Front Office Sports.

The duo, who have called six Super Bowls together, will instantly become the most high-profile “Monday Night Football” broadcast booth since the days of the late Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, and Don Meredith on ABC Sports.

Aikman will leap past Tony Romo of CBS Sports as the highest-paid sports broadcaster in history. Aikman will make just short of $95 million over five years. Buck is poised to make about $65 million over five years, said sources. 

The talent raid is shaping up to be Jimmy Pitaro’s biggest moment as ESPN’s chairman. 

Aikman and Buck have reigned as Fox’s No. 1 broadcast team for 20 years. They rank behind only the late John Madden and Pat Summerall in longevity. Now Aikman and Buck are poised to call ESPN’s first Super Bowl in 2027.

Pitaro previously lured Peyton Manning and Eli Manning with the chance to do their own alternate ManningCast of Monday Night Football. And he’s not done. Word is that Pitaro, a New York Yankees fan, wants to hire Derek Jeter.

Then there’s the revenge factor for the Walt Disney Co. against rival Fox. For the last decade, Pitaro and predecessor John Skipper had to sit and watch while Fox recruited ESPN talents like Tom Rinaldi, Emmanuel Acho, Erin Andrews, Jason Whitlock, Skip Bayless, and Colin Cowherd. Now, with one stunning counterattack, ESPN will wipe the slate clean. 

Fox is considering Greg Olsen, Sean Payton, Michael Strahan, and Kevin Burkhardt as possible replacements for Aikman and Buck. Jay Cutler, who Fox hired as its No. 2 analyst in 2017, has also thrown his hat in the ring.

ESPN could not be reached for comment. Fox declined to comment.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

IndyCar driver Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood, left, celebrates winning the Detroit Grand Prix with team co-owner Dan Towriss in Detroit on Sunday, June 1, 2025.

Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss Defends  $700 Million Apple Deal

“We’re going to have a bigger reach than what people think.”
Apr 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of an NBA basketball and backyard and NBA logo before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Toronto Raptors at the American Airlines Center.

NBA Tries to Solve Fragmentation Issue It Helped Create

A new “Tap to Watch” feature will direct fans to live games.
Jun 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Second place Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) sprays champagne on winner Mercedes driver George Russell (63) at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

Apple Officially Taking F1 Rights From ESPN in $700M Deal

ESPN has broadcast F1 in the U.S. since 2018.
Mar 12, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; General view of ESPN broadcast camera during a game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.

ESPN’s New NBA Segment Resists Hot Takes

LeBron James tweeted in favor of the new segment.

Featured Today

May 25, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Derek Jeter walks the red carpet on Sunday, May 25, 2025, ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Players’ Tribune Is Still Kicking 11 Years Later

Founder Derek Jeter is still closely involved in the publication.
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with her teammates after her last second shot to take the lead 90-88 against the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Oct. 8, 2025.
exclusive
October 10, 2025

Standoff Over WNBA’s Future Has Dominated Finals

CBA negotiations have stolen the spotlight from the Aces’ dominant performance.
Paul Cartier
October 5, 2025

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Brandon Inniss (1) attempts to make a catch over Texas Longhorns defensive back Graceson Littleton (29) in the first half at Ohio Stadium.

SEC Games Help ABC Dominate College Football Ratings at Midseason

Texas–Ohio State on Fox remains the most-watched game of the season.
MLS
October 14, 2025

MLS Publishes Unchecked AI-Generated Game Recaps

Humans are not reviewing the articles for accuracy.
Oct 10, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates with teammates after game four of the 2025 WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center.
October 14, 2025

WNBA Finals Draws 1.5M Viewers, Second-Highest Series on ESPN

The four-game series averaged 1.5 million viewers.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
Micah Parsons
exclusive
October 14, 2025

NFL Scorigami Creator Blames Glitches on Twitter Platform Changes

The bot has been glitching all NFL season, and fans have noticed.
Sep 5, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia embraces after their match in the semifinal of the men’s singles at the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
October 13, 2025

Six Kings Slam Returns With Record $6M Prize, Netflix Deal

The Six Kings Slam is held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mar 5, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; A view of the NBA logo and NBA app logo and basketballs in front of the base during warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Suns at the American Airlines Center.
October 13, 2025

NBA Will Take Over League Pass After WBD Divorce

The league now has full operational control of those media assets.
Aces
October 10, 2025

WNBA Finals Most Viewed In 25 Years Despite Possible Aces Sweep

Games 2 and 3 have averaged more than 1.2 million viewers.