There’s nothing Mike Tirico hasn’t added to his extensive broadcasting resume over the years, but the 2026 Super Bowl marked his first time as the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s broadcast. He will now transition to the Winter Olympics in Milan, where he will host NBC’s primetime coverage.
As the Seattle Seahawks dominated the New England Patriots 29–13, Tirico, with his steady, composed voice, skillfully blended humor and storytelling to keep audiences across the nation engaged.
Mike Tirico Makes History By Calling Super Bowl and Hosting Winter Olympics on Same Sunday
Tirico replaced Al Michaels as the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football”, the network’s weekly NFL broadcast. He also serves as the host of the Triple Crown races on NBC and extensively covers primetime events at the Olympics. The 59-year-old previously served at ESPN and became one of the leading sportscasters in his 25-year tenure. He was the first host to be seen on ESPN News.
Since 2016, he has been working with NBC and recently called his first Super Bowl, Super Bowl 60. His previous Super Bowl roles included hosting pregame shows and other coverage, but he had never served as the play-by-play announcer. In his debut this year, he was accompanied by color commentator Cris Collinsworth, who extended his Super Bowl commentary tally to six, five of which featured the New England team.
Tirico’s February promises even more excitement, as he is set to travel to Milan to host NBC’s primetime coverage of the Winter Olympics. This marks only the second time that the Super Bowl and the Games have coincided on the same Sunday. Primetime in Milan will feature highlights from the women’s alpine skiing downhill event and the men’s figure skating team freestyle competition.
The legendary sportscaster’s distinctive February began when he launched NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Basketball’ package, calling a New York Knicks-Los Angeles Lakers game. The 59-year-old covered the 2022 Beijing Olympics for NBC, the same year he hosted the Super Bowl pregame in Los Angeles.
His ESPN journey mostly saw him sharing the call with Hubie Brown. His final NBA game with the channel was in the playoffs on May 8, 2016. Tirico boasted a radio career, hosting his first show from WAER. He also had his eponymous show on ESPN Radio, but it was short-lived. He finally announced his full-fledged commitment to TV in 2009.
Tirico’s 2025 campaign faced a minor setback when he had to prematurely leave NBC’s coverage of the Kentucky Derby, the final Triple Crown stop, citing nut allergies.
