Chris Berman praises sports as uniting ‘melting pot’ during Disney Legend speech

Chris Berman has long been considered an ESPN legend, but now he will also forever be known as a Disney Legend.

Disney announced Berman would be part of its newest class of “Legend” honorees in March. And Sunday afternoon, Berman officially received the honor meant to represent the “extraordinary breadth of talent and storytellers who have defined Disney” during D23, the company’s biennial weekend-long ultimate fan event.

Berman’s induction as a Disney Legend was preceded by a speech from former colleague Steve Young, who was laid off by ESPN in 2023 after more than two decades with the network. Young credited Berman for providing himself and others in sports television the “playbook with the stories, genuine love for sports, and those unforgettable nicknames and catchphrases.”

During his own speech, Berman praised ESPN as an incredible success story, calling it a “perfect marriage” when Disney purchased ABC in 1996. Berman also credited sports for its ability to be a unifying topic.

Already an ESPN legend, Chris Berman is now officially a Disney Legend 🌟 pic.twitter.com/KAkO8Oxq9z

— ESPN (@espn) August 17, 2026

“The thing I’ve learned more about anything being in the sports arena is just what I try to say, no matter male or female, old or young, rich or poor, I don’t care what the color of your skin is,” Berman said. “We can have the same discussion today on last night’s game. ‘I can’t believe they didn’t go for it on fourth down.’ Sports is a melting pot, and it’s real, and it’s the best thing this job has given me.”

Berman joined Jerry Bruckheimer, Susan Egan, Eric Goldberg, Anne Hathaway, Bob Iger, Kim Irvine, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the Jonas Brothers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Alan Tudyk for the full 2026 cast of Disney Legends honored at this year’s D23.

An ESPN lifer, Berman joined the 24-hour sports startup one month after it launched in 1979, becoming the face of the network during its seminal years. At 71 years old, Berman isn’t as active at ESPN as he once was, but he continues to host a streaming version of NFL Primetime on ESPN+ and is sure to play a part in the network’s Super Bowl coverage this NFL season. Recently, Berman expressed a desire to remain with ESPN until 2029, seeking to mark 50 years with the network.