Mike Tirico to Leave ESPN, Heading to NBC

Longtime play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico is leaving ESPN for NBC, according to several sources, as cited by Sports Business Daily.

Tirico has been with ESPN since 1991, calling many of the network’s most prominent sporting events including NFL’s “Monday Night Football” (since 2006) as well as college football, college basketball, World Cup soccer and the major tournaments in golf and tennis. He is currently a part of ESPN’s second NBA broadcast team and will continue to call games through this year’s playoffs, as his current deal with ESPN ends this summer.

It is expected Tirico will be the lead play-by-play announcer for NBC’s upcoming five-game “Thursday Night Football” package beginning this fall. There also may be opportunities for him on NBC’s PGA Tour Golf and British Open coverage.

A spokesperson for NBC did not confirm the Tirico acquisition, stating the network does not comment on people under current contract with another outlet.

Sean McDonough is among the lead candidates to replace Tirico on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” Although a veteran broadcaster for three decades, McDonough has not been the lead play-by-play voice of a major sport on a national telecast since the MLB on CBS in 1993.