Joe Buck’s ESPN future is no longer uncertain. The veteran play-by-play voice has agreed to a reported six-year extension worth about $108 million. The agreement keeps Buck with ESPN into the next decade and covers the network’s next scheduled Super Bowl in 2031. Buck is entering the final season of his original five-year, $75 million ESPN contract.
His new deal reportedly raises his annual pay from $15 million to about $18 million. The timing gives ESPN stability around a major NFL broadcast season. It also follows Buck’s public comments that he hoped to remain with ESPN for the rest of his career.
ESPN makes its commitment to Buck clear
The reported extension represents a major commitment to the voice ESPN installed as its Monday Night Football play-by-play anchor in 2022. Buck arrived from Fox with Troy Aikman, and the two became the centerpiece of ESPN’s NFL booth.
Buck’s current agreement was scheduled to expire after the 2026 NFL season and Super Bowl LXI. The new six-year deal removes that immediate uncertainty while keeping Buck attached to ESPN’s flagship NFL package well into the next decade.
The reported $108 million value averages roughly $18 million per year, up from the $15 million annual value of his previous ESPN contract. ESPN has not publicly confirmed the specific financial terms.
Buck had already made his ESPN preference clear
The agreement follows comments Buck made earlier this year about his future. In an interview with Richard Deitsch, Buck said he would sign an ESPN contract immediately if one were placed in front of him.
Buck also said he had enjoyed his time at ESPN and hoped to remain there for the rest of his career. At the time, he indicated that formal negotiations had not yet taken place.
His ESPN role has expanded beyond Monday Night Football. Buck has also hosted Disney’s sports-themed Jeopardy! project and made other appearances within the company’s television ecosystem.
The contract locks in major Super Bowl assignments
Buck’s extension gives ESPN continuity at the play-by-play position as the network enters a major period for its NFL coverage. ESPN is scheduled to televise its first Super Bowl in the current rotation in February 2027, with ABC simulcasting the game.
The network is also scheduled to carry the Super Bowl again in 2031. Buck’s six-year agreement keeps him in place for both broadcasts, adding a long-term anchor to ESPN’s NFL presentation.
The deal also reinforces the importance of the Buck-Aikman pairing, even though Aikman’s contract situation remains unresolved. Aikman’s five-year, $90 million ESPN agreement expires after Super Bowl LXI in February 2027.
Fun fact: Joe Buck’s connection to Monday Night Football predates his ESPN tenure by decades. His father, Jack Buck, called the program on national radio during two stretches, from 1978-84 and again from 1987-95.
Buck and Aikman remain a defining NFL booth
Buck and Aikman joined ESPN together after spending two decades as Fox’s top NFL broadcasting team. The 2026 season marks their 25th season working together, a partnership that began in 2002.
Their ESPN move brought an established pairing to Monday nights. Buck’s play-by-play experience and Aikman’s perspective as a Hall of Fame quarterback gave ESPN a familiar booth when the two joined the network in 2022.
By the 2026 season, the partnership had reached its 25th season together. The duo has worked alongside Lisa Salters on Monday Night Football during their tenure at ESPN.
Buck’s career adds weight to ESPN’s decision
Buck arrived at ESPN after nearly three decades at Fox, where he became one of the network’s leading voices for NFL and Major League Baseball broadcasts. His previous work included NFL games, MLB postseason coverage and 24 World Series broadcasts.
His football résumé includes six Super Bowl assignments with Fox. The 2027 Super Bowl will be his first with ESPN, while the new contract positions him to call the network’s scheduled Super Bowl in 2031 as well.
Buck is 57 and has remained a major national broadcaster across multiple sports and networks. His long career gives ESPN an experienced presence as its NFL coverage continues to expand.
ESPN’s football footprint continues to expand
Buck’s new contract arrives as ESPN’s relationship with the NFL continues to expand. In 2026, NFL Network programming became available through the ESPN App, giving subscribers access to additional NFL games, studio programming and original content.
That broader football footprint gives Buck’s role additional context. He remains one of the central voices on a network placing substantial emphasis on NFL coverage. His continued presence gives ESPN stability as it expands its football offering.
The commitment also removes a major offseason question. For Buck, the agreement marks a second long-term chapter after his move from Fox, where he spent decades before joining ESPN with Aikman in 2022.
The reported extension keeps Buck with ESPN into the next decade and covers the network’s scheduled Super Bowl broadcasts in 2027 and 2031. Those assignments connect the new deal to two of ESPN’s biggest upcoming NFL broadcasts.
TL;DR
- Joe Buck has agreed to a reported six-year, approximately $108 million extension with ESPN.
- The deal raises his reported annual value from $15 million to about $18 million and keeps him with ESPN into the next decade.
- Buck is scheduled to call ESPN’s first Super Bowl in the current rotation in February 2027 and the network’s next one in 2031.
- Troy Aikman’s five-year, $90 million ESPN contract expires after Super Bowl LXI in February 2027, leaving his future separate from Buck’s new deal.
- Buck and Aikman have worked together since 2002 and are in their 25th season as a broadcast partnership.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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