Mike Tirico will officially join NBC on July 1 and be a significant part of the net’s coverage of the Rio Games. In a conference call this afternoon, Tirico graciously thanked ESPN and specifically President John Skipper, saying the net “gave me a great farewell.” Tirico cited a lifelong desire to cover the Olympics as part of his decision to leave ESPN for NBC. He also acknowledged a growing desire to spend more time with family and less on the road. He said, “Since '97, I’ve probably been on the road 150-175 nights a year. I’m looking forward to spending a little more time at home.”
Tirico said he would have stayed at ESPN for the duration of his career, but the NBC opportunity was “impossible to turn away.” He said he will miss broadcasting “MNF” games, which he called “a special ride.” Tirico with NBC also will cover the NFL and golf.
Meanwhile, ESPN today made official that Sean McDonough will replace Tirico as the play-by-play voice for “MNF” this season. ESPN Exec VP/Programming & Production John Wildhack this afternoon called McDonough an “exceptional talent” and said that he “was at the top of a very short list” for the position. McDonough said the new career opportunity is “remarkable” and added that he “always wanted to be a signature voice of a franchise” like “MNF.” Wildhack said no one else was offered the position.
