Report: Tony Romo agrees to record broadcast deal to remain with CBS
Tony Romo and CBS have agreed to a record-breaking broadcast contract, the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand reports.
The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback will remain as the network’s No. 1 NFL analyst with a contract that pays him $17 million per season, easily the largest deal for a game analyst in sports. Marchand describes the deal as “significantly more than five years.”
It marks a significant raise over three-year, $10 million deal Romo reportedly signed as a rookie broadcaster in 2017.
Big raise over Romo’s playing days
By comparison, Romo averaged a little more than $9.1 per season over the course of his 14-year playing career in the NFL.
The deal puts an end to speculation that Romo would leave CBS for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” booth as the two networks were reportedly ready to engage in a bidding war for his services when his initial CBS deal expired in March.
According to Marchand, CBS extended the offer before ESPN had a chance to make a bid. The high demand paid off in a big way for Romo.
ESPN, meanwhile, will have to move on to Plan B.
Romo an immediate hit
Romo joined the broadcast booth alongside play-by-play man Jim Nantz after he retired from the Cowboys in 2016. He replaced Phil Simms, who shifted to the network’s studio show.
Between his enthusiasm, relatability and penchant for calling plays before they happened, Romo became an immediate favorite among fans and critics.
Concerns that he jumped the line to join the network’s No. 1 team with no experience were quickly quelled as his game analysis drew rave reviews.
Romo deal resets market
According to Front Office Sports, Fox’s Troy Aikman was previously the highest-paid current NFL analyst, making $7.5 million annually.
Jon Gruden made $6.5 million per year as a “Monday Night Football” analyst, while broadcast icon John Madden made $8 million per year in the early 1990s, per the report.
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