Chris Berman’s time with ESPN goes way back — back, back, back — but it appears he’s close to hanging them up.
The longtime sports broadcaster will remain with ESPN but step away from several significant roles after the NFL playoffs, the network announced Thursday.
Berman no longer will host “Sunday NFL Countdown,” “NFL PrimeTime” and “Monday Night Countdown” after this year’s Super Bowl, and he also is done hosting the NFL draft and Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby.
Berman signed a multiyear contract with ESPN to stay on in a “reduced role,” according to the Sports Business Journal. He’ll still do play-by-play on ESPN Radio for MLB League Division Series games, as well as make weekly appearances on “Monday Night Countdown” via taped segments.
“I like to think of myself as an ESPN lifer,” Berman told SBJ. “There really wasn’t any thought of doing anything else. … We’ve had a great working relationship extending 38 years.”
Berman joined ESPN in 1979 at the age of 24 just one month after the network launched and has been its primary NFL studio host for 31 years. His name has become synonymous over the last three decades with enthusiastic home run calls, enduring catchphrases and, of course, those clever player nicknames.
ESPN has yet to name Berman’s replacement for its NFL shows or the Home Run Derby.
Thumbnail photo via Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports Images
