One of the most famed broadcasting duos the NFL has ever known — Joe Buck and Troy Aikman — is moving on from FOX and signing on with ESPN, the company announced on Wednesday.
“When you have the opportunity to bring in the iconic, longest-running NFL broadcasting duo, you take it, especially at a time when we are on the cusp of a new era in our expanding relationship with the NFL,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “The NFL continues to ascend, and we now have more games than ever before, providing additional opportunities for Joe, Troy, and our deep roster of commentators.”
The 2022 season will be the 21st season in which Buck and Aikman work together as a headlining pair — Buck as the play-by-play man with Aikman serving as the lead commentator. It ties the legendary Pat Summerall and John Madden’s all-time record for on-air NFL partners.
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“Everything about Monday Night Football, including the broadcast, set the standard for the modern NFL experience,” Buck said. “My earliest memories of walking around football stadiums are tagging along with my dad as he called Monday Night Football on radio. To return to the stadium on Monday nights with Troy – who I have the utmost comfort with and confidence in – and begin a new chapter, for us and ESPN, has me excited about this season and our future.”
While Buck has been one of the most recognizable play-by-play voices over the last three decades, Aikman moved to the booth after a Hall-of-Fame playing career as a Super Bowl-winning quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys.
“The opportunity to be a voice on Monday Night Football, adding to its legacy and being a part of the future of the NFL on ESPN, has me motivated and reflective,” Aikman said. “As a kid in California, the voices of Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and my mom’s personal favorite, Don Meredith, echoed throughout our living room each week. Joe and I are humbled to be part of that same tradition that has existed for more than 50 years across generations of football fans. I am looking forward to the next several years with ESPN and all our new teammates.”
