Mike Tirico, who has done just about everything for ESPN, both on television and radio, since he joined the network 25 years ago, reportedly is leaving when his contract expires this summer.
His landing spot is NBC, which will likely mean a major shake-up in the deployment of the high-priced troops at both networks.
The impending switch was first reported Monday by Sports Business Daily.
The versatile Tirico grew up in Whitestone, Queens, a Mets and Jets fan who idolized Marv Albert and Bob Murphy and tagged along while his grandfather worked security outside the visitors’ clubhouse at Shea Stadium. He is walking away from, among many other assignments, ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” package.
With Al Michaels entrenched as the voice of NBC’s high-profile “Sunday Night Football,” Tirico may have to amuse himself, for the time being anyway, with the network’s new late-season, five-game Thursday night NFL package. The contract for the 71-year-old Michaels, the gold standard of football play-by-play, is believed to expire following the 2017-18 NFL season.
Tirico, 49, is the play-by-play man on ESPN’s second NBA broadcast team, a role he will continue through this spring’s playoffs. The Syracuse graduate also leads the network’s golf and tennis coverage. NBC has the rights to an array of PGA Tour events as well as the British Open.
The network also has the Olympics this summer, and there was speculation Tirico eventually could find himself the successor to prime-time host Bob Costas, who has hosted 11 Olympic Games.
All parties involved declined comment Monday.
According to Sports Business Daily, Sean McDonough is Tirico’s likely replacement on MNF.