We’ll see plenty of players change uniforms (though not Aaron Rodgers, apparently) in the coming days as NFL free agency kicks into full gear, but those moves are nothing compared to the arms race transpiring between media empires Fox, Amazon and ESPN as money continues to pour into live television. Not content with poaching Troy Aikman (who ESPN is paying $90 million to man its Monday Night booth for the next five seasons), the Worldwide Leader appears to be making a similar play for Fox veteran Joe Buck. ESPN is also said to be eyeing a reunion with Erin Andrews, who became a fixture on College GameDay before bolting for Fox in 2012.
ESPN remains committed to Lisa Salters, the network’s lead sideline reporter on Monday Night Football broadcasts since 2012, but would still have “interest” in pursuing Andrews if she became available, according to New York Post media reporter Andrew Marchand. With her contract up soon, Andrews could be tempted to follow Aikman—and potentially Buck—to Bristol, though Marchand insists Fox’s preference is to keep her.
Aikman and Kirk Herbstreit (who is said to be joining Amazon’s Thursday Night booth next season) are the latest defectors in an ever-changing broadcast landscape with Buck and free agent play-by-play man Al Michaels thought to be the next big dominos to fall. With Tony Romo’s landmark deal with CBS setting the new standard for color analysts, high-profile coaches have cleverly used broadcast jobs as leverage, with Sean McVay earning a sizable raise from the Rams, who feared losing him to Amazon.
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