GolfNewsRI

Jim Nantz, the voice of The Masters, is nearing the end of his contract with CBS and it appears that ESPN is ready to jump. 

According to a report from Front Office Sports (FOS), ESPN is hoping to lure Nantz away from CBS. 

“If Nantz hits free agency this summer, ESPN is interested in possibly making him the face of its NFL and Masters golf coverage, said sources. With ESPN parent Walt Disney Co. poised to land one — if not two — NFL TV packages, Nantz could be on the mic as ABC/ESPN broadcast future Super Bowls,” writes Michael McCarthy of FOS. 

Nantz’s contract with CBS reportedly expires this summer.

Nantz has expressed that he wants to be the first ever to call 50 Masters Tournaments. That would take him to 2035.

Nantz Seeks Big Money

According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Nantz  is seeking more than $17.5 million per year, which is what his NFL partner Tony Romo is currently getting paid. 

According to the New York Post, Nantz currently makes approximately $6.5 million per year on a contract that ends next summer. 

By comparison, Joe Buck makes approximately $10.5 million at Fox, and NBC’s Mike Tirico is near that number as well.

ESPN’s Recent Losses 

As GolfNewsRI has reported, ESPN has recently lost and or cut a number of their top talent. 

The sports empire recently cut Dan Le Batard, Mike Golic Sr., Trey Wingo and Michelle Beadle. 

They also lost top reporter Tom Rinaldi to Fox Sports.