Corridor of Famer Troy Aikman is anticipated to go away Fox Sports activities to change into the principle analyst for ESPN’s “Monday Night time Soccer,” The Submit has realized.
Aikman’s ESPN deal shall be for 5 years, in line with sources, and his yearly wage is anticipated to method or exceed the neighborhood of Tony Romo’s $17.5 million per yr contract with CBS. The deal is just not but signed, however it's close to completion.
ESPN declined remark.
Aikman’s seismic transfer will shake-up NFL TV free company. Already this offseason, the contract of Al Michaels, arguably the best NFL play-by-player of all time, ran out with NBC.
Michaels, 77, has been on the 1-yard line in his negotiations to be the lead play-by-play voice when Amazon Prime Video begins its unique protection of “Thursday Night time Soccer.” Michaels had hoped Aikman would be part of him on Thursday nights.
Although Rams head coach Sean McVay has mentioned he'll proceed on the sidelines this yr, Amazon may make a severe run at him, in line with sources. Tom Brady can’t be totally counted out as a candidate, nevertheless it must be pressured he has proven no indication he needs to work in a sales space.
ESPN at the moment has Steve Levy, Louis Riddick Jr. and Brian Griese as its lead “Monday Night time Soccer” workforce. Over the following few years, ESPN may have an enlargement in NFL video games from 18 to 25. They may want a number of crews to name them.
Whereas ESPN has thought of making a run at Michaels — it hasn’t carried out so but — there may be one other wild risk.
With Joe Buck’s contact up subsequent yr, sources mentioned ESPN may attempt to pry Buck from Fox. Buck additionally calls the World Collection for the community. Fox must grant Buck permission if he wished to go away early.
In the meantime, Fox instantly has a gap atop its No. 1 broadcast workforce with two Tremendous Bowls within the subsequent three years. Fox, nonetheless, has added depth to its NFL analyst group in recent times.
It is going to contemplate its No. 2 analyst Greg Olsen, McVay, Sean Payton and, in a twist, may attempt to commerce for NBC’s Drew Brees, in line with sources. Brees, who's in NBC’s studio, is additionally a candidate for Amazon on Thursday nights.
Fox may even wait if a thriller candidate, somebody not obvious proper now, arises. 49ers GM and ex-TV recreation analyst John Lynch may fall into this class for both Amazon or Fox.
Fox would even have curiosity in Brady, however, if the community wasn’t going to match ESPN for Aikman, it appears unimaginable to consider it might go into the stratosphere it might take to probably even entice Brady.
Like Peyton Manning, Brady will be capable of select when and if he needs to be in a sales space. Manning and his brother, Eli, are scheduled to do 10 telecasts mainly over Zoom the following three years. Their rookie yr version of the Manningcast on ESPN2 for Monday evening video games was very nicely acquired.
It was virtually precisely two years in the past in February 2020 that Romo’s cope with CBS for 10 years and $180 million modified the NFL analyst business, because it was the richest in historical past.
Aikman has been within the sales space far longer than Romo. Earlier than this previous season, in line with sources, Aikman used the leverage he needed to make this new deal potential.
He had an out in his contract by which he may say he wouldn't do “Thursday Night time Soccer” this season. With that leverage, Fox agreed to present Aikman a four-year extension at $13.2 million per yr, in line with sources.
There was one closing stipulation to the contract — Aikman may choose out after this season if he have been to safe an even bigger and higher contract, in line with sources.
For the previous yr, Aikman has flirted with leaving. He spoke overtly about probably going to Amazon.
In the long run, ESPN, which has been making an attempt to determine its high sales space for years, got here in with the strongest supply but.
Aikman’s new deal will run by means of Tremendous Bowl 61 in 2027. That's no coincidence, as that recreation shall be televised by ABC/ESPN. The following query is: Who will Aikman’s sales space companion be?
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