Whenever we watch a sporting event, we’re greeted by the sports broadcasters’ voices. This typically includes one play-by-play guy and a color commentator. These two are sometimes paired together for years, such as Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who’ve been working together for more than two decades.
Like Aikman, other former players, especially in the NFL, have emerged as the hottest broadcasters in the sport due to their experience. We also hear from these broadcasters through other mediums, such as daily programming, pregame shows, postgame shows, and more. With that comes a hefty payout from the organization employing them.
Who Are the Highest-Paid Sports Broadcasters?
Spotrac shared a post on X from Front Office Sports, releasing the top eight salaries for those in these positions.
You may not be surprised to learn that former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is atop the list, but check out the other names:
Top Reported Sports Broadcaster, Analyst Annual Salaries
Tom Brady, $37.5M
Charles Barkley, $21M
Stephen A. Smith, $20M
Troy Aikman, $18M
Tony Romo, $18M
Pat McAfee, $17M
Shaquille O'Neal, $15M+
Joe Buck, $15Mhttps://t.co/UsupJdBWrR— Spotrac (@spotrac) February 15, 2025
- Tom Brady, $37.5M
- Charles Barkley, $21M
- Stephen A. Smith, $20M
- Troy Aikman, $18M
- Tony Romo, $18M
- Pat McAfee, $17M
- Shaquille O’Neal, $15M+
- Joe Buck, $15M
It’s unclear if these are 100% accurate or rough approximations, but the list includes arguably the biggest broadcasters in sports today.
As for Brady, he recently played in the NFL and knows perhaps every scheme you could possibly imagine. The 2024 season was his first, and he got plenty better as the year progressed — he even admitted that on Instagram with his first season, including calling Super Bowl 59, coming to an end. Shoot, the guy has won seven Super Bowls — he knows a thing or two about football.
That said, he is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, and this will restrict him from attending things like team practices or production meetings.
This won’t really be a concern right now, given how familiar Brady is with everything, but I’m curious to see what that looks like 10 years down the road when he’s probably not as familiar with the coaches or depending on how the NFL evolves.
As for Barkley, he’s revealed he’s staying with TNT and turning down offers from NBC, Amazon, and ESPN.
“I’m informing NBC that I will not accept their offer,” Barkley said to Ernie Johnson Jr. on the “Steam Room” podcast. “I’m gonna cancel future meetings with Amazon. … My heart is always and will be at Turner Sports.”
Continuing down the list, it’s no surprise to see Stephen A. Smith there. He’s been arguably the face of ESPN for years.
After Smith, there are three former NFL players and one former NBA player.
Aikman has been a staple of football broadcasting for multiple decades, Romo is best remembered for calling plays before they happened shortly after he got out of football (though that’s slowed down a lot), and McAfee, I’d say, is the new face of ESPN.
It’s intriguing that six of eight are former players. As a fan, it’s great to hear former players’ inside knowledge of these sports, especially those who just retired and are familiar with the modern game.
We’ll see if this trend continues.