Joe Buck & Troy Aikman Get “High Stakes” Update On Their Futures At ESPN
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
ESPN is locking in on the future of its top NFL commentary team. The network has started what Front Office Sports reporter Michael McCarthy calls “high stakes contract negotiations” to extend Monday Night Football announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.
The talks come at an important time for ESPN. The network now sits in the Super Bowl rotation and wants stability in its NFL coverage for years to come. According to McCarthy, ESPN hopes to keep Buck and Aikman in the booth to call its upcoming Super Bowl broadcasts following the 2026 and 2030 seasons.
McCarthy reported that ESPN will work through CAA, the agency that represents both broadcasters. He wrote, “High stakes contract negotiations are kicking off between Troy Aikman, Joe Buck + ESPN. ESPN wants Monday Night Football duo to call their first 2 Super Bowls after NFL’s 2026 and 2030 seasons. But ESPN will have to go through CAA, which reps both now.”
ESPN Wants Continuity For Upcoming Super Bowls
Buck and Aikman are heading into the final year of the five-year deals they signed with ESPN back in 2022. Even so, they’re still two of the biggest, most recognizable voices in football broadcasting.
The duo has already called six Super Bowls together. The only booth team with more is the legendary pair of Pat Summerall and John Madden, who did eight.
High stakes contract negotiations are kicking off between Troy Aikman, Joe Buck + ESPN.
ESPN wants Monday Night Football duo to call their first 2 Super Bowls after NFL’s 2026 and 2030 seasons.
But ESPN will have to go through CAA, which reps both now.https://t.co/24bBczyrnV
— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) August 6, 2026
ESPN executive Burke Magnus wants Buck and Aikman in the booth, leading the way when the network broadcasts the Super Bowl. But ESPN’s plans go way beyond the main call, they also plan to run a ManningCast simulcast and possibly a Pat McAfee Field-Cast to cover every angle.
The network is hoping that star-powered combo, paired with Buck and Aikman’s veteran experience, will bring in record-breaking ratings for its first Super Bowl under the new TV deal.
For now, a new deal seems very likely. McCarthy reported that both sides want to get something done, adding that Buck and Aikman are really happy with how things are going at ESPN.
“Still, my sources say there’s mutual interest to getting a deal done on both sides. Both Aikman and Buck have said they’re happy at ESPN,” McCarthy wrote.
The negotiations could shape ESPN’s NFL coverage for the rest of the decade. If the two sides reach an agreement, Buck and Aikman could move closer to matching the Super Bowl record set by Madden and Summerall.
