ESPN has signed play-by-play announcer Joe Buck to a six-year contract extension worth roughly $108 million, The Athletic first reported Wednesday. The deal raises Buck’s annual salary from $15 million to $18 million.
Buck joined ESPN in 2022 alongside his longtime broadcast partner Troy Aikman. That pairing is widely regarded as one of the network’s most significant talent acquisitions in its 40-year history, after years of trying and failing to build a top-tier booth with combinations like Sean McDonough and Steve Levy, or Booger McFarland and Jason Witten.
Aikman, who signed a five-year, $90 million deal with ESPN, remains unsigned as his current contract expires after the Super Bowl in February. He is expected to re-sign.
Buck’s new contract keeps him at ESPN through the network’s next Super Bowl broadcast in 2031. He is 57 years old. By comparison, Al Michaels, at 81, still calls Thursday Night Football for Amazon Prime.
Where Buck Fits in ESPN’s Pay Structure
Buck is now tied with Aikman as ESPN’s third-highest-paid on-air personality, trailing Stephen A. Smith, who makes around $21 million per year, and Pat McAfee, who makes around $30 million. McAfee’s arrangement is structured differently from a standard talent contract: he licenses his daily studio show to ESPN under a separate agreement that also covers appearances on College GameDay, Monday Night Countdown and other programming. McAfee is reportedly negotiating a renewal worth around $65 million per year.
The contracts for Buck, Aikman, Smith and McAfee illustrate a broader strategy under ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro: pay top talent handsomely while trimming elsewhere. The network laid off multiple on-air personalities in July, following a 2023 round of cuts that affected 20 on-air talents.
Other ESPN personalities in the network’s top pay tier include Michael Wilbon, Tony Kornheiser, Kirk Herbstreit and Mike Breen. Given the value of calling a Super Bowl broadcast, Buck may be the most valuable of the group.
A Possible Return to the World Series
Buck spent years calling the World Series for Fox before joining ESPN. According to The Athletic, Pitaro has told Buck he would like him to call the World Series if ESPN acquires rights to the event starting in 2029. The World Series is currently exclusive to Fox, but future broadcast rights could be split among multiple partners, with Fox, ESPN, NBC and Netflix seen as likely bidders.
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