Chris Berman has signed a multiyear contract extension to stay with ESPN on Friday that will keep him at ESPN through about 2019, when the network will turn 40.
Berman joined ESPN in October 1979, less than a month after the network launched. ESPN declined to disclose the terms or length of the new deal, which begins in 2013.
The network said Friday that Berman will remain its host for NFL studio shows and call the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby and anchor ESPN's U.S. Open golf coverage.
In addition, he'll do NFL play-by-play for the first time in his career on Sept. 10, calling the game between the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders.
ESPN President John Skipper stated:
"On the day we commemorate our company's birthday, it's fitting we extend our relationship with Chris, arguably the most recognizable face and voice in ESPN's history. Since arriving in Bristol in 1979, Chris' passion and enthusiasm, and, of course his signature highlights, have long been his trademarks, earning him a special place among fans for more than three decades."
Berman had this to say after his contract extension:
"I never could have dreamed that ESPN would be my home as a young man in his 20s all the way to a not-so-young man in his 60s," Berman stated.
