ESPN locked up one of its most recognizable voices. Dave Pasch has signed a new multi-year exclusive deal that expands his role beyond NBA and college sports.
What We Know: Pasch has been with ESPN since 2003, building a two-decade reputation across NBA, college basketball, and college football. His new agreement adds NFL coverage to that portfolio — a first on the national stage for the veteran broadcaster. In addition, he called ESPN Radio’s coverage of the New York Knicks’ run to the NBA Finals. Specific details about his NFL assignment will be announced in the coming weeks. As part of his exclusive agreement, Pasch steps down from his role as radio play-by-play voice of the Arizona Cardinals. He held that role for 24 seasons.
What They Said: Mike McQuade, Executive Vice President, Sports Production, ESPN: “Live sports demand voices that can carry the weight of the moment. Dave Pasch has been doing exactly that for more than two decades. His command of the biggest stages in NBA, college basketball and football speaks for itself. Expanding his role to include NFL is a natural next step for one of the most trusted voices in the business. We’re excited about what’s ahead for Dave and for fans,”
Dave Pasch: “As I move to an expanded and exclusive role with ESPN, I would like to thank Jimmy Pitaro, Burke Magnus and Mike McQuade for this great opportunity. Having covered the NFL for two and a half decades for the Arizona Cardinals, I’m thrilled to now be involved with the NFL on the national stage, along with continuing to call college football, basketball and the NBA. I can’t wait to start the next chapter of my career,”
What Remains Unclear: ESPN has not yet revealed which NFL properties Pasch will cover or which broadcast partners he’ll work alongside. Also, who will be his replacement with the Arizona Cardinals is unknown.
What It Means: Pasch’s expansion reflects ESPN’s ongoing push to maximize its most versatile talent across multiple sports. Moreover, adding NFL duties makes him one of the network’s most broadly deployed play-by-play voices.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
