Many years ago, when ESPN first hit cable television airwaves, one of the first sportscasters who made an impression on the national sports scene was Chris Berman. Berman has been an integral part of many ESPN telecasts, especially during his “NFL Primetime” shows that he hosted alongside Tom Jackson.
Now, though, Berman is going to hang up his microphone soon and ride off into retirement. On Friday, news came out that Berman will work through the end of his final contract, which runs to 2029.
Chris Berman Shares His Plans on Life After ESPN
Berman recently talked about his career situation in an interview on the “CNBC Sport” podcast.
“I did tell our president, Jimmy Pitaro, when they were foolish enough to sign me — I’m going to be here 50 years,” Berman said. “I said, ‘You may never have another guy or woman here (50 years). I don’t know.”
Berman is 70 years old now, joining ESPN after it had only been on the air for one month. He’s made a mark over the years with his sports nicknames, ranging from former MLB player John “Tonight Let It Be” Lowenstein (after a popular beer at the time) to other sports personalities.
But he’s been connected to ESPN’s NFL coverage for a long, long time. These days, Berman’s not that prevalent in ESPN programming. He, though, is still doing “NFL Primetime” on ESPN+ with ESPN NFL analyst Booger McFarland.
In May 2025, ESPN announced an extension of Berman’s contract, and Pitaro had some nice comments to say about his longtime sportscaster.
“For a remarkable half-century, Chris has embodied ESPN with his smart and entertaining style,” Pitaro said at the time. “Boomer’s enjoyment of sports jumps through the screen and generations of fans have loved being along for the ride.”
At that time, Berman said that he’d fulfill the remainder of his contract, which would take him through the NFL season in 2029. “You’ve got to have a gold Mickey Mouse watch in somebody’s drawer that you could give to me when I get to 50 years in 2029,” Berman said on the podcast.
These days, Berman isn’t on ESPN as much as he has been in the past. But he seems OK with where his career stands at this moment. “I’ll be almost 75, I think the nation’s more than had enough of me,” Berman said. “I’m semi-retired now. I’m just so proud of where we’ve been from Day 1 to getting a Super Bowl.”
So, the man known as “Boomer” to many sports fans will be around for a little bit longer. Maybe he’ll have a chance to call an MLB game and offer one more “Back! Back! Back! Gone!” home run call.
