Mike Tirico has officially joined NBC Sports.
Tirico will join the NBC family of networks effective July 1 and work this year’s Olympic Games, NBC Sports announced Monday. He will also contribute to NBC’s NFL and golf coverage, but the specifics of his various roles will not be announced until his time with ESPN is officially over.
Tirico will remain with ESPN through June, hosting coverage of next month’s UEFA Euro 2016 soccer tournament in his final assignment for the network. He will not work the NBA’s conference finals or finals for ESPN Radio, as he had in past years, likely due to his soccer duties rather than his impending departure.
An open secret since it was reported three weeks ago by Sports Business Daily, NBC’s hiring of Tirico is one of the bigger transactions in recent sports media history. The 25-year ESPN veteran was the voice of Monday Night Football, second on the depth chart for its NBA coverage, a World Cup host when it held rights, and a contributor to events ranging from Wimbledon and the U.S. Open to The Masters and British Open — and that was ESPN television alone. On ESPN Radio, he has called the NBA Finals and college football’s national championship.
In a statement Monday, ESPN acknowledged Tirico’s departure, thanked him for “all he’s done” for the company, and wished him “the best in this new chapter of his career.” ESPN is expected to announce later Monday afternoon that Sean McDonough will replace Tirico on Monday Night Football.
(Mon. news from NBC Sports Group Press Box, ESPN Media Zone, Richard Deitsch/Twitter)
