Tony Romo is one of the most unlikely success stories in football, enjoying unexpected success as both a player and broadcaster. As he prepares to call Super Bowl LVIII, here’s everything you need to know about the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current CBS NFL broadcaster.
Romo, age 43, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent coming out of the 2003 NFL Draft. He didn’t attempt a single pass in a regular-season game in his first two seasons, then replaced starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe early in the 2006 season. Once an unknown out of Eastern Illinois, Romo went on to earn four Pro Bowl selections and was at one point one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Related: Live Super Bowl 2024 Updates: Follow Our Real-Time Coverage Blog for Latest News & Highlights
Romo retired in 2017 and began his post-football career immediately as the lead color analyst for CBS, replacing Phil Simms alongside Jim Nantz. Now, Nantz and Romo are the broadcasters for Super Bowl LVIII. Here’s everything you need to know about CBS’ investment in their top broadcasting team.
How much does Tony Romo make as a commentator?
Tony Romo makes $17.5 million as a commentator for CBS. According to Andrew Marchand, CBS signed Romo in February 2020 to a 10-year contract worth $180 million. While Romo earns a $17.5 million salary as a broadcaster, there are additional perks that make the deal worth $18 million annually.
Related: How much does a Super Bowl ad cost? Super Bowl ad cost history
- Tony Romo salary: $17.5 million in 2024
CBS structured the deal for three years, with a caveat that the remaining 7 years of the contract would be exercised if the NFL signed a new TV rights contract with the network. In 2022, the NFL signed a new media rights contract with CBS through 2030.
How much did Tony Romo make in the NFL?
Tony Romo made $127 million during the course of his 14-year NFL career. As the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Romo signed five separate contracts with the Cowboys, per Spotrac, with his largest salary as an NFL player being $26.5 million in 2013. Notably, is being paid the same salary as a broadcaster by CBS as he received in two different seasons (2007 and 2015) with the Cowboys.
- Tony Romo career earnings: $127.4 million as an NFL player
Related: How much are Super Bowl tickets?
What game is Tony Romo calling today?
Tony Romo is calling the Super Bowl today.
Related: NFL games today
Highest-paid broadcasters in sports
Here are the highest-paid sports broadcasters in 2024.
- Tom Brady (FOX) – $37.5 million salary
- Troy Aikman (ESPN) – $18 million salary
- Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN/Amazon) – $18 million salary (estimated)
- Tony Romo (CBS) – $17.5 million salary
- Joe Buck (ESPN) – $15 million salary
- Jim Nantz (CBS) – $12 million salary (estimated)
- Al Michaels (Amazon) – $11 million salary
How much does Jim Nantz make?
Jim Nantz makes an estimated $12 million per season as a play-by-play broadcaster for CBS. As reported by Andrew Marchand, CBS is paying Romo and Nant collectively around $30 million per year.
- Jim Nantz salary: $12 million (estimated)
Nantz previously made a $6.5 million salary before signing a new contract extension with CBS in 2021. Tony Romo’s 10-year contract is credited as one of the biggest reasons for skyrocketing salaries for NFL broadcasters.
How much is CBS paying to broadcast the Super Bowl?
CBS is paying the NFL $2.1 billion for the right to broadcast Super Bowl LVIII along with regular-season games and NFL playoff games each year. Among the NFL’s TV rights partners, CBS is spending the second-most behind Fox ($2.2 billion). Both networks have the broadcasting rights to NFL games through 2030.
How much is CBS paying Jim Nantz and Tony Romo?
CBS is paying Tony Romo and Jim Nantz a combined $30 million per year as its lead broadcast team for NFL games in 2024.
Related: Highest-paid NFL players