Report: FOX Sports tab Joe Buck’s play-by-play successor
It’s been an eventful offseason in the broadcasting free-agency carousel, and after the departure of Joe Buck to ESPN, FOX Sports has reportedly named Kevin Burkhardt as Buck’s play-by-play successor, according to a report from the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand.
Buck was named the No. 1 voice on FOX’s NFL games, per Marchand, and he is working with FOX to finalize a new long-term contract that will make him the voice of the network’s Super Bowl coverage. Though FOX Sports declined to comment to the New York Post, it appears that some minor negotiation is all that stands in the way of an official announcement.
With the news, it means that Burkhardt will be on the call for two of the next three Super Bowls, for which FOX owns rights.
Burkhardt’s broadcasting partner, at least for the moment, is unclear, according to Marchand’s report. FOX Sports reportedly has a number of options to fit the color commentator spot, and former NFL tight end Greg Olsen is one of the leading candidates, as he previously served as Burkhardt’s color analyst on FOX’s second team.
Burkhardt, 48, graduated from William Patterson in 1997. He spent four years calling minor league baseball and eight years working at WFHT in New Jersey, before he eventually landed a position with WCBS and WFAN Radio. The latter two roles, Marchand notes, led him to his big break, which saw him accept a role as the Mets’ sideline reporter for SNY. FOX later hired Burkhardt from SNY, and he’s since served on the network’s No. 2 NFL team.
WATCH: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman react to taking over Monday Night Football
ESPN announced their next Monday Night Football crew two weeks ago, with both play-by-play announcer Joe Buck and color analyst Troy Aikman leaving Fox to take over the prime time spot. The duo will continue to work together after 21 years of calling games on Sunday afternoons.
Buck took to Twitter shortly after the news was announced, reacting to being the new voice of Monday Night Football. He stated how excited he was to be joining ESPN and working with a new crew.
“I just wanted to take a second to tell you how excited — beyond excited I am to come to ESPN and to get to do Monday Night Football,” Buck said. “Get to do it with Troy, get to do it with Lisa Salters, get to do it with John Perry, the entire crew. It’s going to be an absolute blast.”
Buck went on to talk about going into Monday Night Football radio booths with his father, the legendary Jack Buck, and watching “the greats” do it from the television stand. To watch Buck’s entire video, you can watch it below.
Aikman released a statement via Twitter as well, talking about officially being announced as the next Monday Night Football color analyst. He said growing up watching the NFL’s prime time game, Aikman is excited to get going in the booth.
“Like most kids of my generation, I grew up watching MNF w Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell & my mom’s favorite Don Meredith so you can only imagine my excitement to be part of the legacy of MNF & continue working w Joe Buck, my broadcast partner for the last 20 years!”