It takes a village to put on a sporting event. And we mean a village of people, including reporters, analysts, coaches, trainers, fans and more. Sportscasters have an important role to play to ensure that fans get the most out of the experience. They are also employed to get the fans watching on TV as excited as the people who are lucky enough to attend in person. Some sportscasters are so well known and revered that they get paid millions of dollars to cover their respective topics of expertise. Although not an easy job, they essentially get to earn multi-figure salaries from talking about something that they’re passionate about. So how much do these popular sportscasters earn for helping fans get excited about every game?
Molly Qerim ($500 000)
It’s been a couple of years since Molly Querim first rose to fame as one of the promising young moderators on ESPN. She loves working with big teams, and digging her heels into game analysis, strategies, theories and much more. The public took to her right away, and pretty soon First Take became one of the most popular sports talk programs on television. Molly has had a bunch of hosting gigs in her life, but none that pay her the cool $500 000 she earns these days.
Molly Qerim
Mike Golic ($5 000 000)
It’s no secret that Mike Golic’s Mike & Mike radio show is one of the best things to happen at ESPN. The program catapulted him to extraordinary fame levels within the sporting community, and has become a steady earner for him over the past decade and a half. Viewers love the energy he brings to the shows, and the network validates this by offering him a salary of $5 000 000. He’s certainly well paid for his expertise, offering one nugget of wisdom at a time.
Mike Golic
Samantha Ponder ($4 900 000)
Although her career saw her standing on the sidelines at games a lot, these days Samantha Ponder has worked her way up to being more than just a casual reporter on ESPN. Today, she is one of the most notable sportscasters in the world, and thanks to her exquisite business knowledge, she’s even managed to make sure that she is well paid for her ability to do so. Currently, Samantha hosts Sunday NFL Countdown, a segment that draws viewers in by the millions.
Samantha Ponder
Colin Cowherd ($6 000 000)
Colin Cowherd is anything but a coward in the sporting world. The renowned sportscaster earns a cool $6 million for being one of the biggest names in sports talk television, and he’s certainly earned his stripes since starting with ESPN almost twenty years ago. His insights have led him to be approached by other networks, and he’s done shorter stints elsewhere to test the waters. He always seems to gravitate back to the loyal ESPN crowd, however.
Colin Cowherd
Erin Andrews ($2 000 000)
You can’t keep a good woman down. Erin Andrews is one of the most popular sportscasters in sports history these days, mostly because she has hustled and climbed her way to the top of the latter since starting as a freelance reporter in the early 2000’s. She is a jack of all trades, covering a wide range of sporting events, which also introduces her to fans from a diverse range of interests and backgrounds. Her $2 million paychecks is certainly money well spent.
Erin Andrews
Lisa Salters ($235 000)
It takes a lot for the sporting industry to recognize you as a veteran, especially in the broadcasting field, where there is a lot of competition across the various networks. Lisa Salters has earned her stripes over what can only be called an illustrious career, earning the respect of her colleagues and fans along the way. Outside of sports, she has also done some reporting on high-profile crimes. Not one to sit still, Lisa is the epitome of getting out of your comfort zone and following your passions.
Lisa Salters
Al Michaels ($6 000 000)
Surprise surprise, here is someone who isn’t known for being on ESPN! Al Michaels is a staple of the NBC Sports team, where fans will know and love him for giving play-by-plays during some of the biggest matches in the NFL. If you’re wondering about how he became such a prolific figure in sportscasting, he spent over twenty years commentating for ABC until he was scooped up by NBC. With such a wide-reaching career, he’s been involved in some of the most iconic sporting fixtures of all times.
Al Michaels
Skip Bayless ($6 000 000)
ESPN’s First Take grew in popularity thanks to renowned broadcaster Skip Bayless attracting audiences in the millions to the show. Mostly, this happened because of his screaming matches with his co-hosts, which naturally got people to pay attention and kept their eyeballs glued to the screen for as long as possible. In 2016, Skip made the difficult move to Fox, where he has stayed ever since. His interesting takes on the seemingly obvious has landed him a six-figure salary, and a lavish lifestyle to boot.
Skip Bayless
Michael Wilbon ($6 000 000)
It’s not uncommon to find sports commentators who have stuck to their guns over the years, working on a single sport and climbing the ladder with a focus on one particular area. That certainly isn’t the case with Michael Wilbom, an icon of the broadcasting world who spent over thirty years at the Washington Post of all places. This gave him a wide perspective on sports and other topics and has made him a $6 million earning sportscaster these days.
Michael Wilbon
Cassidy Hubbarth ($200 000)
Even though she might not be a household name just yet, Cassidy Hubbarth is one of the faces to watch in the coming decades if you’re a sports fan. Working as a reporter for the Big Ten Network, she has started climbing the ladder and is starting to refine her focus to basketball hosting in particular. Her TV career began back in Chicago, so locals have a special place for her in their hearts. It has helped her to grow a steady following on social media, and we look forward to seeing her reach new heights in the future.
Cassidy Hubbarth
Rosalyn Gold-Onwude ($78 000)
Over the last five years, Rosalyn Gold-Onwude has started making a name for herself in the sportscasting world. The Stanford alumnus may have found a menial corporate job straight out of university, but her attention veered off into sports within the space of just a couple of months, after she realized she had to pursue her passions. Rosalyn showcases that people of color deserve a place in sportscasting, and hopefully her salary will increase as she becomes more known around the country.
Rosalyn Gold Onwude
Joe Buck ($6 000 000)
When you win the National Sportscaster of the Year award, you’re bound for a good payday, right? Joe Buck is proof that this is the case, but his large salary probably has more to do with the fact that he has won the award not once, not twice, but three times already. The famed announcer has been doing his thing since the late nineties and has earned his merit in the field. He is also well known for commentating one of the less popular American sports: golf.
Joe Buck
Holly Rowe ($800 000)
NBA fans will know Holly Rowe all too well. The ESPN star has been around the block and back again, starting her career in sportscasting all the way back in the nineties. She is renowned for covering all sorts of ball sports, offering great on-court interviews and even better insights when she gets to be in the analysis room. In recent years she has made a point to cover sports on both sides of the gender spectrum, giving renewed (and much needed) prominence to women’s sports along the way.
Holly Rowe
Leeann Tweeden ($1 000 000)
It’s not often that you encounter a sportscaster who seems like they can do it all. Leeann Tweeden is one of these rare personalities who not only lends her voice and opinions to audiences around the country, but has also dabbled in modeling and other areas of interest over the years. Her exposure across a variety of platforms has opened some doors in her career, including anchoring a show on Fox Sports for more than five years.
Leeann Tweeden
Tony Kornheiser ($6 000 000)
We’ve mentioned Mike Wilbon already, but the sportscasting legend can’t be spoken about without another sports fan favorite, namely Tony Kornheiser. In the early stages of his career, he wrote for the Washington Post to boost his profile, which was ultimately enough to land him a TV job with ESPN. Not a man to sit still, Tony has been involved in a multitude of different programs over the years, scooping up various accolades (and a healthy paycheck) along the way.
Tony Kornheiser
Pam Oliver ($1 000 000)
It’s not often that you find a female sportscaster with decades of experience, and Pam Oliver has certainly earned her stripes of her long and illustrious career. Not quite finding a home at a particular network in the early years, she eventually landed a stable gig with ESPN back in the early nineties. That’s not to say that she sat still after that happened. Her $1 000 000 paycheck is proof that it’s worth shopping around for deals as you progress through your broadcasting career.
Pam Oliver
Wendi Nix ($800 000)
With a comfy salary of $800 000, Wendi Nix is proof that sports anchors starting out on local networks have the ability to become big earners down the line. Although Wendi bounced around between Fox and WPDE in her native South Carolina, today she headlines ‘NFL Live’ on ESPN. Her coverage of various NFL games has fans coming back for more, and she is living proof that it’s possible to go after your dreams and achieve them in the process.
Wendi Nix
Stephen A. Smith ($10 000 000)
In his youth, Stephen A. Smith was the poster child for what it was like to grow up poor. According to various interviews, he would often go through stretches of just living from tuna fish and soda. These days he is one of the best paid sportscasters in the world, earning an eight figure salary thanks to his prominence on major sports networks like ESPN. These days he is the sole anchor of his own show, and the fans keep following him wherever he goes.
Stephen A Smith
Terry Bradshaw ($2 000 000)
It shouldn’t come as a shock that NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw is worth a cool $25 000 000 these days. It isn’t possible to compare his football playing salary to what the top guns earn these days, but he has amassed his fortune thanks to successfully making the transition to broadcasting over the period of a couple of decades. Terry now earns a cool $2 million, and his endorsements also allow for a steady flow of passive income that helps him to maintain a rather lush lifestyle.
Terry Bradshaw
Shaquille O’Neal (Unspecified Amount)
The illustrious Shaq has already been mentioned a couple of times on the list, so it was only a matter of time before he got his entry too. Although it’s impossible to figure out how much he earns between his work on TNT and ‘Inside The NBA’, commentators suggest that we’re looking at a seven figure salary. The NBA icon isn’t chasing money, however. He has regularly turned down gigs that didn’t serve his vision to inspire others, and continues to be one of the nicest guys in broadcasting to this very day.
Shaquille ONeal
Charissa Thompson ($1 000 000)
It pays to have a great personality, and Charissa Thompson is one of those sportscasters that radiates character whenever the camera is on her. Although she works for Fox these days, she has also done her rounds in terms of other big networks, landing gigs at three of them before ending up where she is today. It seems her sparkly personality was noticed by the entertainment industry as well. She has also done some entertainment reporting, outside of her work as a sportscaster.
Charissa Thompson
Mike Greenberg ($6 500 000)
We’ve already mentioned the first half of Mike & MIke in the Morning earlier on the list. Mike Greenberg deserves just as much praise for the hard work he has done for ESPN, which has earned him a staggeringly high salary of $6 500 000. It pays to have experience, and as of 2021, Mike has been working as a broadcaster for 25 years. The popular host has even started dabbling in other types of presenting, showcasing his talents outside of just the sports arena.
Mike Greenberg
Jim Rome ($30 000 000)
Because of a show that ranks near the Top 20 in the entire country, Jim Rome is renowned all over the United States as one of the most influential sportscasters of our times. His program broadcasts to a collection of hundreds of radio stations across North America and Canada, which allows him to have a fanbase that stretches beyond just the local sports community. Needless to say, his ridiculously high paycheck warrants and reflects this notion!
Jim Rome
Howie Long ($4 000 000)
Like many other sportscasters, Howie Long got his start on the field, which even grabbed the attention of agents in Tinseltown at the time. Having conquered the NFL and the Superbowl, he set his sights on a sportscasting career and has never looked back since. His love for the game shines through whether he is giving a match analysis, or just discussing his picks for the new season. All-in-all he is a great asset to the sportscasting field.
Howie Long
Kenny Smith ($4 000 000)
It’s one thing to be a popular NBA star, and it’s another to become one of the best broadcasters in basketball. Kenny Smith has certainly earned his stripes on both ends, most notably for his hilarious insights, and the light tone he adopts to often very serious discussions around the analysis table. Over time, this has made him incredibly popular with fans from all walks of life, and we’re happy to see that his salary reflects this too.
Kenny Smith
Bob Costas ($7 000 000)
Just when you think you’ve seen and heard it all, Bob Costas comes in and changes up everything you think you know about sports. The renowned broadcaster has been around the block and back again in the industry, yet he continues to hold prominence among his peers and fans alike. In turn, he has become one of the most recognizable faces in sportscasting, and his $7 million salary showcases that he is truly in a league of his own.
Bob Costas
Thierry Henry ($6 000 000)
Although he didn’t have the longest commentating career ever, soccer star Thierry Henry took up the challenge back in 2018 when Sky Sports enlisted him to cover the matches. For his efforts, which lasted just one year, he was paid a pretty penny to the total sum of $6 million. Although it didn’t stick, it’s still worth mentioning that with a little bit of clout in a sport, you can continue to earn the big bucks as a broadcaster, should you wish to pursue that route.
Thierry Henry
Tony Romo ($17 000 000)
After wrapping up his commitments as a star NFL player, it was only obvious for Tony Romo to try his hands at broadcasting too. The popular player landed a gig with ESPN in no time at all, although today he calls CBS home. Although he was initially earning a cool seven figures, rumor has it that CBS pays him in the region of $17 000 000 a year. No wonder he made the switch, which makes him one of the highest paid sportscasters in the world.
Tony Romo
Michelle Beadle ($5 000 000)
After joining the ESPN team in the late 2000’s, Michelle Beadle worked hard to get herself to a point where she was one of the highest-earning women in the industry. This happened because she was hosting multiple shows at the same time, and because she had audiences following her from slot to slot wherever she went. She worked for the network until the end of 2019, and at that stage she was taking home a cool $5 million per year.
Michelle Beadle
Andrea Kremer ($4 000 000)
As more streaming platforms start to gain popularity, it’s no surprise that some sportscasters are making the switch from traditional networks to digital ones. Andrea Kremer is a good example of this, moving to Amazon Prime fairly recently and setting the bar for others considering the same. She certainly didn’t land there by chance. Having covered over 25 Super Bowls and with some Emmy’s to her name, she’s one of the most sought after sportscasters in the world to this very day.
Andrea Kremer
Suzy Kolber ($3 000 000)
It’s hard to believe that ESPN had to start from somewhere all those decades ago. The popular network wasn’t always as massive as it is today, and it is thanks to pioneers like Suzy Kolber, who joined the team back in 1992, that it is what it is today. Although she took a short hiatus at the end of the nineties, she was back with the network in 1999, and today is so popular that she was even asked to lend her voice for commentary on popular NFL console games in recent years.
Suzy Kolber
Linda Cohn ($3 000 000)
Some people have great careers, and others make history. Linda Cohn has gone down in the history books for being the first full-time female sports anchor on radio back in the eighties. This was a groundbreaking achievement that paved the way for more women to gain visibility in the sporting arena. Today, her efforts earn her a seven figure salary, and she continues to break new ground in the podcasting and other broadcasting areas all these decades later.
Linda Cohn
Lindsay Czarniak ($1 500 000)
Who wouldn’t want to earn more than a million dollars? Lindsay Czarniak is someone who makes this and more because she is considered one of the most influential talents for ESPN. Although she recently switched networks for an undisclosed amount, her level of experience and the professionalism she brings to every single broadcast will have made it worth every penny for Fox Sports 1. Today, she continues to break new ground by asking difficult questions whenever she gets the chance to be on the sidelines at a game.
Lindsay Czarniak
Jemele Hill ($1 000 000)
With a career at ESPN spanning more than ten years, Jemele Hill has become one of the most popular sportscasters in the entire world. That’s not even mentioning that she is well known for her incredible on-air chemistry with Michael Smith, which led to the pair getting their own show in a primetime slot. Today, Jemele continues to hustle, working on her own podcast and writing for some of the biggest publications in the world. The sky’s the limit for this incredible talent.
Jemele Hill
Charles Barkley ($1 500 000)
It’s one thing to be an NBA MVP. It’s another thing entirely to also be a sportscasting legend. Charles Barkley is one of those rare people that has achieved both in his career, thanks to a deal with TNT that saw him signing on the dotted line for $1.5 million. His popular show ‘Inside The NBA’ has millions of fans and sees him squaring off (and making a lot of jokes) with Shaquille O’Neal on some hot topics related to the sport they both love so dearly.
Charles Barkley
Michael Strahan ($4 000 000)
When you’ve got a Super Bowl win to your name, it’s safe to say that the networks will come knocking by the time you hang up your spikes. Michael Strahan was a major talent on the field, but he found a second calling in sportscasting after his career was over, and he has never looked back ever since. He’s become so popular that he’s even landed a gig on Good Morning America, adding to the staggering earnings he already makes from broadcasting.
Michael Strahan
Dwayne Wade ($1 400 000)
Dwayne Wage has always been very vocal about his love for TNT. When he was offered a slot on the channel, it was a dream come true more so than just the fact that he would be earning a pretty penny from doing so. Dwayne has always been vocal about giving players from all backgrounds a voice, and in landing a prominent sportscasting role, he would be able to empower and encourage players of all backgrounds to share their stories to millions of people each week.
Dwayne Wage
Ernie Johnson ($1 500 000)
NBA broadcasting legend Ernie Johnson has earned every single penny he’s worked for during his stint on ‘Inside the NBA’. He might feel like a bit of a third wheel alongside Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, but fans agree that oftentimes he is probably the only person that could mediate as well between two such prominent personalities. In order to do so he has to have a firm hand, but also know when to lighten the mood with a quip or two to get everyone on level ground again.
Ernie Johnson
Scott Van Pelt ($4 000 000)
Who else remembers the early days of Scott Van Pelt? ESPN has ever been the same since he joined the network, and millions of fans followed suit over the years. In 2020, the channel realized that he needed a bigger stage to present his opinions, so they offered him his own daily segment. Scott is renowned for his golf coverage too, always keeping fans entertained with stats that could only have been dug up thanks to his decades of experience in the field.
Scott Van Pelt
Curt Menefee ($3 000 000)
A salary of $3 million doesn’t sound all too bad. This is exactly what Curt Menefee is bringing home thanks to his sportscasting career, which has come a long way since he graduated from college back in the late eighties. The nineties rolled around, and before he knew it he had landed a full-time gig with Fox Sports. This shot him to fame overnight, and a long and committed career has followed suit ever since. We’ve got nothing but respect for this iconic broadcaster.
Curt Menefee
Jay Bilas ($2 000 000)
You’d be hard pressed to find someone who has an intricate knowledge of basketball in a list of rookie broadcasters being given platforms to share their opinions today. Jay Bilas has always been known for his incredible intellect, rational opinions and interesting statistics that really gets tongues wagging before big games. Jay played basketball throughout college, which helped him to gain a firm understanding of the sport. Apparently, he studies something new about the sport every day of his life.
Jay Bilas
Kevin Garnett (Unspecified Amount)
We mentioned earlier that if you’re an NBA All-Star, you’re probably set to get some offers to do some sportscasting after you finish the playing phase of your career. For Kevin Garnett, a fifteen-time All-Star, the offers came pouring in in a big way when he retired, eventually landing him a role as an analyst on ‘Inside The NBA’ on TNT. He’s so beloved on the program, even though he stands amongst some of the biggest names in the sport for every single show.
Kevin Garnett
Tracy McGrady (Unspecified Amount)
Although we don’t know exactly what Tracy McGrady’s salary is, our sources tell us that it is big enough to match the others on this list. The Hall of Famer has worked tirelessly on television since he wrapped up his commitments on the court, and makes regular guest appearances on various networks in order to expose himself to various audiences. Now a part of the ESPN team, it seems that his sportscasting career is growing from strength to strength.
Tracy McGrady
Ahmad Rashad (Unspecified Amount)
Up next is a man that played in the NBA back in the 1970’s. Ahmad Rashad might not have had a long football career, but all these decades later he is still considered to be one of the most important voices in the NFL. His expert analysis often gets him into heated discussions with other commentators, which has led to some magical TV moments over the sixteen seasons he has been working on ‘NBA Inside Stuff’.
Ahmad Rashad
Adam Schefter ($1 000 000)
You wouldn’t be wrong to assume that by this stage of his career, Adam Schefter is a multi-millionaire that keeps the money rolling in through his work on ESPN. Known for being the first to bring breaking stories into the workroom, Adam is heavily committed to his craft and even more committed to sharing his opinions on Twitter. Ever since he started his career nearly 30 years ago, he’s been going from strength to strength, and today he is a powerhouse in the industry.
Adam Schefter
Rece David ($1 500 000)
Rece Davis is so popular that he recently had his contract with ESPN renewed throughout 2021. With the uncertainties presented by COVID-19, it’s clear that the network does not want to lose him, which would also mean a large drop in viewership numbers. It’s safe to say that he has earned every dollar of the $1.5 million he brings home, and better yet, he continues to be one of the most likeable and humble guys in the industry even with all the success.
Rece David
Hannah Storm ($1 500 000)
Here’s an interesting addition to the list that hasn’t followed a traditional trajectory to get to the top of the sportscasting field. As a young journalist, Hannah Storm was set on being a CNN news anchor, and even landed a gig with the network in the late eighties. Two decades later she landed her first role in sports presenting, and the rest is history. Today, ESPN pays her $1.5 million for her troubles, and she loves every minute of this exciting new direction her career has gone into.
Hannah Storm
Chris Berman ($5 000 000)
One of the originals on ESPN, Chris Berman is a face and name that is imprinted on the minds of millions of NFL fans around the country. Over his long spanning career, he has been responsible for giving nicknames to players that have ended up becoming a part of their personal brands. At the height of his career, he was bagging a large paycheck of $5 million for his efforts, making him one of the highest paid sportscasters at the time.
Chris Berman
Jimmy Johnson ($600 000)
It’s not too common for an NFL coach to transition into broadcasting, but in the case of Jimmy Johnson, this is exactly what happened. After he led various college teams to world championship titles, he was offered a position on CBS where he was required to talk about games on a Sunday morning. His insights soon gained him a large fanbase, and now he earns over half a million dollars just for getting up early on the weekends.
Jimmy Johnson
Kevin Harlan ($400 000)
If there has ever been someone who is great at balancing having a couple of jobs at the same time, it’s Keven Harlan. His six-figure salary involves commentating on games across various networks, and he even steps in during his free time to watch and analyze college basketball games too. Now forty years into his career, he has become a legend of the sportscasting field. Like so many others on our list today, he is a groundbreaker that allows fans like us to enjoy watching sports all year round.
Kevin Harlan