It took a year, but Mike Tirico will finally make his long-expected move to Thursday Night Football.
The NFL has given NBC permission to use Tirico as its play-by-play voice on Thursday Night Football this season, Sports Business Daily reported today. NBC originally planned to use Tirico on TNF when it signed him last year, but the NFL refused, citing the network’s contractual obligation to use its lead voice — Al Michaels — on Thursday night games.
It was not clear why the NFL had a change of heart.
Al Michaels will remain the lead voice of Sunday Night Football, and per Sports Business Daily “is under contract for multiple years.” Sports Illustrated reported last year that Michaels’ contract was set to expire at the end of the 2017 season. Cris Collinsworth will continue pulling double duty on SNF and TNF.
NBC will produce nine Thursday Night Football broadcasts this season, six of which will air on the NBC broadcast network. Last season, Tirico called three TNF games and seven total, including the preseason.
[Wed. news from Sports Business Daily 5.31]
