Cowboys Ex Tony Romo Sounds Off on Troy Aikman, Joe Buck & TV Money

FRISCO - Since its inception and first telecast on Sept. 21, 1970, Monday Night Football has televised more than 700 games to the viewing public.

Those 50-plus seasons have had a number of celebrities appear during games, including Spiro Agnew, Placido Domingo, John Lennon, and yes, even Kermit the Frog. Presidents have also made appearances, including Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan (as then-governor of California), and Barack Obama.

Monday Night Football was also the first national broadcast to announce the death of the aforementioned Lennon, after he was shot and killed in New York on Dec. 8, 1980.

But first and foremost, Monday Night Football is about NFL football. Second, it's about the broadcasters.

The 2022 edition of the program will usher in the fourth broadcasting change since 2015 as former NFL on FOX No. 1 broadcast team, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will make their ESPN debut with the first game of the season featuring Broncos vs Seahawks on Sept. 12.

Buck and Aikman made headlines back in March by signing massive contacts to carry on the Monday Night Football broadcast legacy.

According to the New York Post, Buck inked a five-year contract worth between $60 million and $70 million, while Aikman's deal is for five years and $92.5 million.

Those figures just continue the trend that seems to have begun with CBS' singing of former Cowboys signal-caller Tony Romo in 2020 which was for a reported $180 million over 10 years.

Romo himself commented on the Aikman-Buck duo joining ESPN in an interview with The Big Lead.

“I think everyone in the industry supports each other,” Romo told The Big Lead. “I mean for us, any time somebody makes money, it’s a good thing. It’s like players: everyone thinks they’re going to be upset, it’s like, well, when somebody makes more money, that’s helping out everybody else. And so, I think it’s well-deserved.

“I think there’s a lot of talented play-by-play and analysts out there. Troy and Joe, I’m really happy for them. I think that’s well-deserved and I think that’s a good thing, you know, for the whole industry.”

Romo received immediate accolades when making the almost instant transition from on the field to in the booth. His insights on the game and seeming ability to predict play calls became a favorite to viewers.

Romo is under contract with CBS until 2030, but with the current landscape of broadcast contracts, it would seem he will have the power to command whatever price he wants as a potential broadcasting free agent.

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