Chris Berman knows the end is near.
The ESPN icon, who has worked at the network since its beginnings as a regional cable upstart, is planning to retire at the end of the decade.
Appearing on the CNBC Sports podcast with Alex Sherman this week, Berman revealed that his current contract with the Worldwide Leader extends through the 2029 NFL season — at which point he plans to hang it up.
“Boomer” saw a resurgence in recent seasons, relaunching NFL Primetime as a streaming-exclusive series alongside new co-host Booger McFarland. The Sunday evening recap show even aired on ESPN proper the night of the Super Bowl.
As ESPN marches toward its first-ever Super Bowl in 2027 and merges with NFL Network, Berman figures to be a significant part of the network’s coverage.
“I’m just so proud of what we’ve been from Day 1 to getting a Super Bowl,” Berman told CNBC.
Berman is the signature NFL host in ESPN’s history, anchoring Monday Night Countdown for 31 years and Sunday NFL Countdown for a decade. The touches Berman put on NFL highlights on those shows are inseparable from the great plays he narrated, as is his deep, indominable voice that earned him the nickname “Boomer.”
Recently, Dan Patrick recalled a terse conversation with ESPN chair Jimmy Pitaro, urging Pitaro to bring Berman back into the network’s fray. Soon after, Pitaro and ESPN brought Primetime back to air.
Getting to 2029 would give Berman a full half-century at ESPN, a milestone he said has been a goal.
If he retires following the 2029 season, Berman would enter a well-earned retirement at age 75 as one of the most prolific broadcasters in sports history.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.