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ESPN’s Chris Fowler “could move to Fox” when his contract expires in early 2023 after 35 years with the network, which has handed out lucrative deals to Troy Aikman ($18 million a year), Joe Buck ($15 million) and Stephen A. Smith ($12 million)
- Chris Fowler could leave ESPN after 35 years when his deal expires in 2023
- Fowler, 60, is best known for beating college football and tennis
- One possible landing spot is Fox, previously ESPN’s Tim Rinaldi. lured
- ESPN recently gave big deals to Troy Aikman, Joe Buck and Stephen A. Smith
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Chris Fowler, one of the longest-serving hosts in ESPN history, is said to be about to leave the “Worldwide Leader” when his contract with Disney expires in early 2023.
Front Office Sports reports that the 60-year-old is in the final months of the nine-year extension he signed in early 2014 with Disney-owned ESPN. commentator and studio host.
He and on-air partner Kirk Herbstreit have convened eight College Football Playoff Championships, and he also partners with tennis legends such as Chris Evert and John McEnroe for coverage of the US and Australian Opens, as well as Wimbledon.
Fowler’s contract expires at a precarious time for ESPN, which has reportedly handed out lucrative deals to several of the network’s top talents: Monday Night Football’s Troy Aikman ($18 million a year) and Joe Buck ($15 million), as well as Stephen A of First Take Smith ($12 million).
Chris Fowler, one of the longest-serving hosts in ESPN history, is said to be about to leave the ‘Worldwide Leader’ when his contract with Disney expires in early 2023
He and on-air partner Kirk Herbstreit have convened eight College Football Playoff Championships together, and he has also teamed up with tennis legends such as Chris Evert and John McEnroe (left) for coverage of the US and Australian Opens, as well as Wimbledon.
ESPN Lured Fox’s Troy Aikman (left) and Joe Buck (right) to Beat Monday Night Football
ESPN has been tougher in negotiations with other hosts, FOS reports, so it’s unclear whether they’ll back Fowler, a 35-year-old network employee, or let him walk. Recently, in 2021, Tom Rinaldi, another host of ESPN college football, signed with Fox Sports.
Author and ESPN profiler James Andrew Miller discussed the situation with Richard Deitsch on a recent podcast.
“I think Fowler will be a really interesting case study to follow,” said Miller, who covered the network in his 2011 book “Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN.”
‘Because he’s not with the crazy 15-plus’ [million] that’s Aikman and Buck,” Miller continued. “He’s not in Stephen A.’s territory. But he’s a man who deserves a very, very good life and deserves to live well. And let’s see what ESPN’s hunger is to keep Fowler.
“There won’t be anyone at ESPN who will say, ‘We don’t want to keep Chris Fowler.’ But will there be those, dare I say, bold enough to say, ‘We only want to keep Chris Fowler for a certain price’? That sounds crazy to me. But let’s see how far this discipline extends from them. … They could cross their hands and say, ‘Where else are you going to play tennis? We actually have tennis.’
Stephen A. Smith reportedly earns $12 million annually for his various roles at ESPN