The Best Sports Commentators Calling Games Today
by Richard Janvrin,
March 31, 2025
Whenever we watch our favorite teams, we’re greeted by at least two commentators – a play-by-play guy and a color commentator. These two provide insights into the game all day, afternoon, or evening long. This includes telling us what’s happening in the game or breaking down the strategy of what’s happening in the game.
Some of the best color commentators are former players who can see the game in a way not all fans are able to. Thus, they tell us what’s going on and educate us on what we’re watching. This can go a long way when we head over to the best online sportsbooks and wager on teams.
Ranking the best sports commentators is quite subjective, but in no specific order, I’ll reveal some of my favorites below.
Note: These are current sports commentators only.
Tom Brady
Brady is among the highest-paid sports commentators. He’s in the midst of a 10-year, $375 million. He’s quickly becoming one of the best sports commentators.
The 2024-25 NFL season was a first for Brady. It started out so-so, but he really came into his own.
Not only has Brady won seven Super Bowls, five Super Bowl MVPs, and three league MVPs, but he has also played the game recently.
His career began in 2000 and went through 2022.
He’s seen everything. He knows all of the existing NFL coaches.
His ability to dissect what was happening in a game and explain it was phenomenal to listen to.
Many times, throughout the season, he’d see matchups on the field, point them out, and they would happen.
For example, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys played early in the 2024 season, and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was in single coverage. He mentioned that the ball needed to get him, and sure enough, it did.
Sure, it was something small, but his aerial view of the game and his expertise lends itself to excellent insight for fans.
As time goes on, it’ll be interesting to monitor two things in particular.
First, as a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, he cannot attend team’s practices or production meetings. While that may not be a big deal now, I wonder how that’ll impact things when he’s seven, eight, or nine years into his current deal.
Second, as time goes on with any player, will he be able to diagnose things on the field as quickly?
Either way, he’s still one of the most famous sports commentators.
Tony Romo
Romo is currently signed to CBS through 2030, making about $17 million annually.
When it first began, Romo was like a true “boy wonder”, predicting plays based on formations before they happened. He was quickly viewed as one of the best sports commentators.
However, after some time had passed, Romo’s work began to receive criticism for various things, including talking too much, telling stories that didn’t make much sense, and more.
He met with CBS, and things seemed to turn around overall and I’d say he was among the top sports commentators again.
He has great chemistry with Jim Nantz, and while Romo might not be for everyone, given the amount he talks during a broadcast, he brings an energy now that is infectious to certain viewers.
Jim Nantz
Nantz is one of the most famous sports commentators. He began his career in 1985 as a host of a college football studio show at CBS and became a play-by-play commentator for CBS and college sports in 1989.
He moved to the NFL in 1991.
Over his career, Nantz has called college football, NFL, golf, college basketball, and more.
In Sept. 2024, Nantz, along with Romo, sat down with CBS, and he guessed some of his greatest calls.
Nantz was on the call for Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary when he was with the Green Bay Packers against the Detroit Lions, Tim Tebow throwing a touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs, and more.
Joe Buck
Buck is somewhat like Romo in that he was not well-liked by fans, but that has softened significantly as time has gone by.
He was with Fox Sports from 1994 to 2021 but has since been with ESPN.
Buck calls both the NFL and MLB. He’s even done some golf.
In the NFL, he works with Troy Aikman.
Some of his best calls include Aaron Boone’s walk-off home run for the New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox in the 2003 ALCS.
It could be argued that some of the hate Buck initially got was that he got his start, most likely because of his dad, Jack Buck, one of the most famous sports commentators in his own right. However, the younger Buck is aware that he got started because of what his last name is.
Still, he’s become an excellent commentator.
One of my favorite calls from him has to be Luis Gonzalez against Mariano Rivera in the 2001 World Series. His call, coupled with the Diamondbacks winning it was a sensational moment.
You can hear him now on Monday Night Football on ESPN.
Kevin Harlan
Finally, there’s Kevin Harlan. No one on this list of the top sports commentators has a voice more iconic than his. He calls the NBA, NFL, college football, and college basketball.
He’s done excellent work in the NFL, but his NBA content is extremely memorable.
My favorite line was, “LeBron James with no regard for human life!”
This happened during the NBA’s second-round playoff game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. The Celtics led the series 2-1.
Then, he covered a Monday Night Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, which involved security chasing after a man who got onto the field.
I’ll let this one do the talking for me.
“Hey, somebody has run out on the field. Some goofball in a hat and a red shirt. Now he takes off the shirt! He’s running down the middle by the 50, he’s at the 30! He’s bare-chested and… BANGING HIS CHEST?! Now he runs the opposite way! He runs to the 50, he runs to the 40, the guy is DRUNK! But there he goes! The 20 — they’re chasing him, but they’re not going to get him! Waving his arms, bare-chested; Somebody stop that man! [Referring to the security] Oh, they got him, they’re coming from the left — Oh, and they tackle him at the 40-yard line! [Pause] Whew, that was the most exciting thing to happen tonight.”
Honorable Mention
- Al Michaels: Michaels is toward the tail-end of his career, but my favorite moments of his career these days are his overall disgust of the quality of most games on Thursday Night Football.
- Greg Olsen: Olsen was bumped down a notch with the addition of Brady, but he still provides excellent analysis, utilizing his days as a tight end and, really, his overall delivery of information.
- Troy Aikman: Aikman has been out of playing in the NFL for quite some time, but he’s still as insightful as ever and isn’t afraid to call things out when he sees them.
- Mike Tirico: Not only does Tirico tell you what’s happening in a game well, but he’s also able to integrate stories and other facts that amp his commentary to another level.