ESPN's Chris Berman is more than just an on-air figure at the Worldwide Leader in Sports. He's as much a part of ESPN as the four letters that make up the name.
But Berman knows very well that he can't keep doing what he loves forever. As a result, he's ready to finally set a date for when he'll retire for good.
According to CNBC via Yahoo Sports, Berman intends to retire at the end of the 2029 NFL season, which will also be the end of his 50th year at ESPN. His contract expires then and it appears he will not put any pressure on the network to give him another one.
A fond farewell
While it's obviously too early for fans to say goodbye to Berman (there's a full four until then), many are already offering him congratulations on a successful career:
"WOP! WOP! WOP! SOME SPREAD BOOM! Congratulations Mr Berman well deserved" one user wrote on X.
"Announcing a retirement three years in advance goes kinda hard ngl," wrote another.
"50 years in any field is incredible. Salute to him," a third replied.
"2029...ok we got some time."
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Chris Berman has been one of the defining faces of ESPN since joining the network in 1979, just months after it launched. Over the next four decades, “Boomer” became synonymous with NFL coverage, most notably as the longtime host of NFL PrimeTime, where his rapid-fire highlight delivery, booming voice, and trademark player nicknames made him a cultural fixture. Berman also anchored studio coverage for Super Bowl broadcasts, MLB All-Star Games, and numerous other major sporting events, helping establish ESPN’s energetic, personality-driven style during the cable sports boom of the 1980s and 1990s.
Beyond highlights, Berman became a steady presence on Sunday NFL Countdown and later called Major League Baseball games for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball coverage. Known for catchphrases like “He could… go… all… the… way!” and playful home run calls, he helped shape how televised sports were presented in the modern era. Though he scaled back his on-air workload in recent years, Berman has remained with ESPN in a reduced role, returning for special NFL assignments and milestone broadcasts, cementing a Hall of Fame-caliber legacy as one of the network’s most enduring and influential personalities.