CBS is all-in on former quarterback Tony Romo to lead their NFL broadcasts going forward. He’s going to be the highest-paid sports analyst ever.
Tony Romo has landed the largest contract for a sports analyst in TV history, according to the NY Post.
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At $17 million per season, Romo will be earning more at CBS talking about the game of football than he did playing it. Over the course of his 14-year career, the former Cowboys’ quarterback’s earnings totaled $127 million– an average of $9 million per season.
The specifics of contract length are unannounced, but sources tell the Post it is “significantly” more than five years. If true, the total value of the deal should easily surpass $100 million.
The previous high for an analyst was John Madden who was paid $8 million per year. Considering inflation, Madden’s contract would only jump up to $14 million, still below Romo’s new deal.
Had CBS and Romo not reached an agreement before March, Disney could have begun pursuing him to join ESPN’s NFL coverage. CBS anticipated Disney would be willing to spend $20 million per year for Romo; however, ESPN officials have disputed that number.
The Post also reports that sources say ESPN has additional plans to reconfigure it’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast, which is currently hosted by Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland. They are likely to pursue Peyton Manning after losing out on Romo.
