Joe Buck is staying with ESPN for the long haul. The veteran broadcaster has agreed to a six-year contract extension worth approximately $108 million, according to The Athletic, securing his position as the lead play-by-play voice of Monday Night Football into the next decade.
The agreement increases Buck’s reported annual salary from $15 million under his current contract to roughly $18 million per year. His existing five-year, $75 million deal was set to expire after the 2026 NFL season, making the new agreement a significant commitment from ESPN to one of its most recognizable voices.
Joe Buck’s New ESPN Deal Extends His NFL Future
Buck joined ESPN in 2022 after leaving Fox Sports alongside longtime analyst Troy Aikman. Their partnership has continued for 25 seasons, making them the longest-running NFL broadcasting duo, according to reports.
The new contract will also put Buck behind the microphone for ESPN’s first Super Bowl broadcast in February 2027. ESPN and ABC are scheduled to carry Super Bowl LXI from SoFi Stadium, while the network is also slated to broadcast another Super Bowl in 2031.
ESPN has not publicly confirmed the financial details of Buck’s contract. In a statement reported by TheWrap, ESPN executive vice president of communications Josh Krulewitz said the network’s priority is its historic first Super Bowl season and that it would not publicly discuss talent contracts before the event.
Buck’s new deal therefore represents more than simply a renewal of his Monday Night Football role. It guarantees ESPN the services of one of the sport’s most experienced play-by-play announcers during a major period for the network.
Troy Aikman’s ESPN Future Remains Uncertain
While Buck’s future is settled, the same cannot currently be said for Aikman. The Hall of Fame quarterback is finishing the final year of his five-year, $90 million ESPN contract, which expires after Super Bowl LXI. No extension for Aikman has been reported.
That creates an unusual situation for one of the most established partnerships in sports television. Buck and Aikman have worked together since 2002, initially at Fox before moving to ESPN as a team in 2022.
Their pairing has remained a major part of ESPN’s NFL presentation. According to The Los Angeles Times, Monday Night Football averaged 15.8 million viewers per game during the previous season, highlighting the importance of the broadcast team to ESPN’s football coverage.
Could Joe Buck Return to the World Series?
Buck’s new ESPN agreement could also eventually bring him back to baseball, although that possibility is not guaranteed by the contract.
Before joining ESPN, Buck spent nearly three decades at Fox and became one of baseball’s most recognizable voices. He called 24 World Series, as well as six Super Bowls, during his Fox career.
The potential baseball comeback depends on ESPN’s future broadcasting rights. According to The Athletic reporting cited by multiple outlets, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has expressed interest in acquiring World Series rights beginning in 2029 and has indicated that he would like Buck to call the games if the network secures them.
For now, that remains a possibility rather than a confirmed assignment. Buck’s new $108 million deal is primarily centered on Monday Night Football, but an ESPN acquisition of the World Series could reunite the broadcaster with the event that defined much of his earlier career.
With the extension, ESPN has ensured that Buck will remain a central figure in its NFL coverage for years to come, while his baseball legacy leaves the door open for another major chapter.