Joe Buck is Leaving FOX to Join ESPN and its Monday Night Football Broadcast

The way you you watch the NFL and MLB is about to change in a big way.

One month after Troy Aikman left FOX Sports to join ESPN’s Monday Night Football team, his friend (and long-time partner) is following suit:

Joe Buck is leaving FOX to become the new voice of Monday Night Football. Even though the MNF brand hasn’t been what it was during its heyday, bringing in Buck and Aikman is a splash move. Is it a bit unexpected? Sure. Buck had one more year left on his contract. But more than that, Buck has long been the lead broadcasting voice on FOX. His departure will leave a major hole to fill.

In addition to his football calls, Buck was FOX’s voice of the World Series for 20+ years. His iconic calls of the Red Sox and Cubs drought-breaking championship triumphs are stuff for the memory banks. But starting this year, Buck is taking his golden pipes to MNF. Nothing like leaving one epic sports broadcasting job for another.

So while we’ll soon obsess over the player movement taking place with MLB free agency opening as we’re typing and the NFL’s open season starting on Monday, the players aren’t the only ones making waves. FOX now has to find a lead voice for its NFL and MLB coverage. I reckon Joe Davis could fill in both roles, as he has had a rapid climb to FOX’s No. 2 broadcaster behind Buck. If not Davis, then we’re looking at what might be one of the most enticing gigs in sports. After all, FOX has two of the next three Super Bowls. And its 3:25 p.m. CT NFL game is the most-watched window for football games. Throw in the opportunity to be the voice of MLB’s World Series and folks should be lining up around the block for this job.

And to think, I had a good laugh when my buddy Adam coined the phrase “announcer empowerment era” in our group chat the other day. Well played, sir.

written by

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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