Arguably the biggest name at ESPN is leaving the network.
ESPN broadcaster Mike Tirico will depart for NBC when his contract expires this summer, Sports Business Daily reported Monday. Rumors of NBC’s interest in Tirico were reported last week by The Big Lead. According to the report, he will likely call NBC’s five-game Thursday Night Football package.
No other role was mentioned, but Tirico will presumably be part of NBC’s golf coverage as well. NBC and Golf Channel are corporate siblings and the two will begin airing the British Open this summer, previously an ESPN/ABC staple. It would not be a surprise to see him on NBC’s coverage of the French Open tennis tournament; in recent years, he has called Wimbledon and U.S. Open matches for ESPN.
Sean McDonough is reportedly “the leading candidate” to fill Tirico’s looming vacancy on Monday Night Football. He renewed his ESPN contract earlier this year. Despite ranking as one of the better play-by-play voices in the industry, McDonough has not been the lead voice of any major sports property since leaving CBS college football coverage in 1999.
Tirico has become the most prominent on-air figure at ESPN, calling MNF in addition to the NBA, college basketball, college football, tennis and golf. He is expected to continue working for ESPN through the NBA Playoffs. His career at the network has included hosting the Super Bowl, NBA Finals and World Cup for ABC and calling the NBA Finals and college football championship for ESPN Radio.
While there have been many departures from ESPN over the years, from Keith Olbermann to Rich Eisen to Dan Patrick, it is fair to say that Tirico’s exit will have the biggest impact of all, given his ubiquitous presence on the network’s prime properties — live major sporting events.
As mentioned previously, Tirico will have the opportunity to continue calling the NFL, golf and tennis with NBC, as well as the new opportunity to cover the Olympic Games. He will lose out on the NBA and major college sports, however.
(Mon. news from Sports Business Daily)
