After the legendary Al Michaels all but confirmed his move to Amazon to call games as part of the streamer’s new NFL package, NBC announced today that Mike Tirico will “join Cris Collinsworth full-time in the booth this season” for . The announcement would seem to confirm Michaels’ exit.
Tirico has made no bones about wanting the job, telling Richard Deitsch on his Sports Media Podcast last month that the SNF spot would be “a lifetime opportunity for me.” That’s saying something, given Tirico marshaled NBC’s Olympics and Super Bowl coverage this year.
Tirico explained that he’s kept himself sharp by calling games regularly. He likened play-by-play to a muscle that needs to be exercised.
“I’ve done a decade of prime-time NFL. I’ve done 200 NFL games. It was part of the reason I came to NBC. So I would hope so at this point, right?
“If I am the person that follows Al, that would be a lifetime opportunity for me. It would be a thrill…it’s something I would be excited to be a part of. I’ve enjoyed doing five games each of the last two years with Cris (Collinsworth). That’s been a great experience for me as well.”
Sunday Night Football is the longtime No. 1 ratings draw on TV.
NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua issued the following statement on Tirico’s SNF ascension today:
When Mike joined NBC Sports in 2016, it was our plan for him to become our primetime Olympics host and the play-by-play voice of Sunday Night Football. We are excited to have Mike join Cris Collinsworth full-time in the booth this season.