The Super Bowl is just around the corner, featuring a highly anticipated showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and the Chiefs, the two best teams in the NFL. This prestigious event draws in nearly 115 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched events globally. Only a select few have an opportunity to be part of it, and this honor goes to Jim Nantz as the play-by-play, and Tony Romo as the analyst) and Tracy Wolfson as the sideline reporter for SB 58.
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CBS will be the official broadcaster of the big game and will be airing it for the 22nd time. The coverage of Super Bowl Sunday is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. Romo, who was offered $17 million a year by the CBS to stay with the network, will be calling his third SB. This prestigious role was once held by legendary John Madden, who called 8 SBs during his time with CBS.
Joining Romo in the commentator’s booth is Jim Nantz, who will be calling his 6th SB as a play-by-play commentator. The record for most SBs called by a play-by-play commentator belongs to Hall of Fame broadcaster Pat Summerall, who announced 11 SBs. Summerall and Madden, during their time with CBS, collectively announced 8 SBs.
Tracy Wolfson will be serving as a sideline reporter for her 5th SB with the CBS. Additionally reporters Evan Washburn and Jay Feely, as well as rules analyst Gene Steratore, will be contributing to the broadcast. In a historic move, Nickelodeon will air the first-ever SB alternate telecast. The CBS analyst for this special broadcast will be Nate Burleson, with Noah Eagle as play-by-play announcer, according to US Today.
For CBS’s radio channel, Westwood One, Kevin Harlan will take on the role of the play-by-play caller, and HOF QB Kurt Warner will serve as analyst. Laura Okmin and Mike Golic will be sideline reporters and Dean Blandino will serve as rules analyst.
The announcer’s table itself has become such an integral part of football, and salaries have also multiplied. Bryan Curtis of the Ringer calls it the “Announcers Empowerment Era”. The bigger the player, the better the contract. They also have the mobility to switch networks while utilizing their freedom of speech.
What is the Salary of the Super Bowl 58 Announcers?
Tony Romo who is set to call his 3rd SB for CBS, signed a 10-year contract in 2020 worth $17m a year. The deal made him the highest-paid announcer in sports history until ESPN offered Troy Aikman $18 million to leave Fox. Nantz who will be announcing his 6th SB, signed a contract in 2021. He was earning $6.5m annually but could now be getting nearly $10m which is still less than ESPN’s play-by-play commentator Joe Buck as per Sporting News.
Tracy Wolfson has been a sideline reporter for a long time and earns $1.3m as per Popular Net Worth. Evan Washburn earns $68,926 per year, meanwhile, Gene Steratore earns $95k. Feely signed a 1-year contract with the Bears for $955,000. Harlan a known face in the sports world, will be calling SB for radio and earns $400,000 annually as per Sports Subscriber.
Last year, when Fox broadcasted SB 57, Kevin Burkhardt(play-by-play), and Greg Olsen(analyst) were announcers and Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi reported from the sidelines. Mike Pereira served as a rules analyst.
The Super Bowl 58 promises to be a spectacle. The 49ers will be looking to win their first SB since 1994 in what happens to be a repeat of the 2019 edition. The Kansas City Chiefs; however, will be looking to cement their dynasty. The game is on Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
