Boomer is staying home.
ESPN announced Monday that Chris Berman, the network’s longest tenured on-air employee, signed a contract extension that runs through 2029.
The extension is important for two reasons. The first is that September 2029 will mark the 50th anniversary of the network’s existence. Berman joined ESPN less than a month into its tenure in 1979, and the deal will make him the first 50-year employee in the company’s history.
He will also partake in a rare first for The Worldwide Leader in February of 2027 when ESPN hosts its first Super Bowl. Berman has been a part of covering 45 Super Bowls in different capacities for ESPN, but this will be the first time the network is broadcasting the game itself. It’s unclear at this time what role Berman will have in the production of sport’s biggest event.
“Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined turning 70 and still being here at our network, which long ago became an icon of sports broadcasting,” Berman said in a statement released by ESPN. “We’re closing in on our very first Super Bowl, and now I will be able to be part of that, too.”
Berman Set the Standard for Media Personalities
GettyBerman has been a fixture in sports media for nearly half a century.
In an era where the media personalities have become almost as prominent as the athletes they cover, Berman was one of the first to cross that threshold.
The 70-year-old has been in the national eye since he was 24-years-old hosting the overnight SportsCenter for the network.
“For a remarkable half-century, Chris has embodied ESPN with his smart and entertaining style,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “Boomer’s enjoyment of sports jumps through the screen and generations of fans have loved being along for the ride.”
Berman quickly became more of a character than standard broadcaster. In addition to play-by-play and pre-and-postgame duties, he became famous for his highlight reads, during which he coined phrases like “whoop,” “rumblin’, bumblin’, stumblin’,” and “He. Could. Go. All. The. Way.”
He seamlessly turned hundreds of player names into puns — like Johnny “Fort” Knox — during his “Fastest Three Minutes” segment and is still synonymous with the MLB Home Run Derby and his “back, back, back, back, back” call as baseballs sailed over the fence.
He isn’t just a grandstander though. Despite the boisterous personality, one of Berman’s most famous calls is one in which he didn’t say anything at all — for 19 minutes — after Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak, opting instead to let the sights and sounds from Camden Yards speak for themselves.
Boomer’s Been Around the Block
GettyBerman has hosted the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony for more than 40 years.
Berman’s list of accomplishments is expansive and his hardware speaks to both his acumen and longevity in calling sports.
He’s a six-time National Sportscaster of the Year and a member of the Sports Broadcasting, National Sports Media Association and Cable Hall of Fames.
He hosted ESPN’s Sunday pregame show for 31 years, was a staple behind the desk on SportsCenter and called 31 MLB All-Star games and 30 World Series.
In addition, he’s hosted the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony since 1979 — the same year he joined ESPN.
Great broadcasters have come and gone from ESPN, especially in the last two decades, but one name has always gone hand-in-hand with the brand.
That name is Chris Berman, and he isn’t going anywhere.
ESPN Makes Surprise Announcement on Chris Berman’s Future