Salary: $6.25 million per year
Skip Bayless is best known for as the commentator on ESPN’s First Take with Stephen Smith. The famous announcer currently hosts the Fox Sports 1 show “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed” which averages over 100,000 viewers weekly. With a verified Twitter account boasting almost 3 million followers, Bayless has managed to leverage his massive presence on TV into a successful social media account. Bayless has also published 3 books and was inducted into the Oklahoma City Wall of Fame as an outstanding alumnus.
The popular broadcaster also had a cameo in the 2006 film Rocky Balboa as an analyst. Bayless was often criticized for his harsher tone and is sometimes seen as the “bad guy” of announcing. One of the most well-known examples of this is his constant criticism of LeBron James in both his shows, even going as far as to call him James “LeBrick”. Bayless wrote a short and very well-received autobiography essay on his Facebook page which details his past including the emotional, verbal and physical abuse he suffered at the hands of his alcoholic father.
Bonnie Bernstein - MSNBC, Fox
Salary: $1 million per year
The incredible Bonnie Bernstein is a prime example of a woman flourishing in sports. The sports journalist and Campus Insiders vice president is considered by the American Sportscasters Association to be one of the most successful female sportscasters to date. With over 20 years of commentating experience, Bernstein also appears occasionally on a variety of networks including MSNBC, NBC and Fox News to express her thoughts, as-well-as contributing to The Dan Patrick Show, ESPN, ESPN, and DirecTV.
She considers herself a "sports chick", motivational speaker, philanthropist, and a fitness nut. You can find her on Instagram at @bonniebernstein where she posts motivational pictures daily. Bernstein is also an incredible health advocate and routinely focuses on helping youth with fitness and health issues. She also claims to be a seasoned corporate speaker and alleges to have worked with many companies such as American Express, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Gatorade, MasterCard, Samsung, SAP, Sony, and Verizon.
Daryl Johnston - Fox
Salary: $3 million per year
Daryl Johnston, 3 time Super Bowl champion and legendary former NFL fullback for the Dallas Cowboys, has worked as a color commentator alongside Kenny Albert since 2013 and appears as a regular guest on FS1's First Things First. Later, Johnston also became the San Antonio Commanders General Manager for the AAF, and also Director of Player Personnel for the Dallas Renegades of the XFL (the AAF and XFL are both alternative football leagues to the NFL).
The legendary NFL player is also known as "Moose" (or "Moooooooooose!" Johnston was making a play on the field). The nickname was given to him by quarterback Babe Laufenberg due to his large build. He played a total of 149 consecutive games and scored 22 career touchdowns. Johnston eventually retired in 1999 due to a neck injury. To this day, he remains in many fan’s views as one of the best power blocking backs in football history. Outside of football, he also contributes regularly to various charities, including the Special Olympics, Children's Cancer Fund, Cystic Fibrosis and Literacy Instruction For Texas.
Doris Burke - ABC, ESPN
Salary: $1 million per year
It's not easy being a woman in the male-dominated sports world, especially a female sportscaster. Nevertheless, Doris Burke proves that it's possible to really make an impact despite gender differences. She is currently a sports analyst for NBA on ESPN and on ABC Games. Burke paved the way for women's equality when she debuted as the first-ever female commentator to call a New York Knicks game. She is highly praised by many many media outlets as "Basketball's best TV analyst" for her unique and insightful commentary during NBA games and was even called "the LeBron James of sportscasters" by Jeff Van Gundy.
With over 25 years of broadcasting experience, Burke has built a substantial following and is one of the most famous and popular sportscasters in the United States. She recently received the annual Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award and was the first woman to have ever been given this honor. She's currently signed to a five-year contract with ESPN and also lends her voice to the popular NBA 2K video-game series. Burke grew up in New Jersey and has had a passion for basketball from a very young age. She was also an assistant coach in college and even received a basketball scholarship to Providence College.
Mike Tirico - NBC Sports
Salary: $3 million per year
Best known for being the NFL play-by-play announcer on Monday Night Football, Mike Tirico has spent the last 25 years calling everything from the NFL, the NBA, and even golf, tennis, and soccer. Once his contract with ESPN expired in 2016, Tirico moved on to NBC Sports and has been with the American sports network ever since. Earlier this year, the successful sportscaster called his first-ever hockey game and received praise from both viewers and colleagues.
The sportscaster from Ann Arbor, Michigan certainly has an interesting life - one of the most peculiar things about him is that all of his immediate family is caucasian. Tirico expressed interest in eventually checking what his true ancestry is, but for now, he's happy living with his wife Debbi and two kids with these questions unanswered.