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ESPN officially announces Joe Buck, Troy Aikman as new MNF broadcast team

It's finally official: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are ESPN's new Monday Night Football commentators.

ESPN made the announcement on Wednesday, cementing what had been rumored for weeks.

Buck and Aikman are defecting from Fox, where they spent 20 years in the booth together. They've called over 300 games together, including six Super Bowls. Sideline reporter Lisa Salters and rules analyst John Parry will also be joining Buck and Aikman for MNF.

As part of their deal, Buck and Aikman will be contributing content to ESPN+. The details of their contributions will be announced at a later date.

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“When you have the opportunity to bring in the iconic, longest-running NFL broadcasting duo, you take it, especially at a time when we are on the cusp of a new era in our expanding relationship with the NFL,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “The NFL continues to ascend, and we now have more games than ever before, providing additional opportunities for Joe, Troy and our deep roster of commentators.”

When Pitaro said that ESPN now has "more games than ever," he really meant it. 22 NFL games will be broadcast on ESPN during the 2022 season.

Buck, Aikman thrilled to be joining ESPN

Buck and Aikman both tweeted shortly after ESPN made the announcement. Buck recorded a short video and seemed genuinely excited about working for the same network his father, legendary announcer Jack Buck, once did.

Aikman didn't record a video so we can't see or hear his excitement, but he did use an exclamation point in his tweet.

Buck and Aikman will make their MNF debut on September 12.

Oct 6, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; Fox announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the field prior to the game with the Dallas Cowboys playing against the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
NFL commentators Joe Buck and Troy Aikman officially left Fox on Wednesday when ESPN announced the duo's new deal with the network. (Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)