With Tom Brady set to take over as Fox’s top analyst during the 2024 NFL season, former Fox No. 1 analyst Greg Olsen will feel the consequences in more ways than one.
Olsen will remain with the network but see his annual salary decrease by $7 million, according to Andrew Marchand of The New York Post. As Brady takes over the network’s top spot, Olsen will join Fox’s No. 2 NFL crew.
Here’s more on the financial implications of Fox’s decision to move Brady to the No. 1 crew alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt.
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| Projecting Brady’s Fox broadcast schedule
As outlined by Marchand, Olsen received $10 million as Fox’s No. 1 analyst in 2023, but that salary will drop to $3 million when he joins the network’s No. 2 broadcast crew in 2024.
Brady, who retired from football after the 2022 season, heads to the broadcast booth after a relatively idle 2023 season. Olsen began broadcasting before his playing career ended in 2020 and quickly rose to hold the network’s top spot in 2023.
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The news of Brady joining the booth continues the evolution of Fox’s NFL coverage after the former No. 1 pairing of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman left to cover ESPN’s top NFL games. As a result, Burkhardt was promoted to Fox’s No. 1 play-by-play spot.
As Fox’s No. 2, Olsen will now share the booth with Joe Davis. The Davis-Olsen pairing will still call several high-profile games throughout the 2024 NFL campaign.
Drastic as the financial implications may be, Olsen was not caught by surprise. During a February appearance on the Rich Eisen show, Olsen spoke on his outlook, acknowledging that he was aware of Brady’s imminent promotion to the top spot.
“I’ve been honest with Fox and they’ve been clear with me. I want to call top games. I want to call Super Bowls. Games in front of 115 million people. That’s where the magic and excitement is. No different than as a player.
“Nobody ever signs up to be a player and just says, ‘I’m happy to be on the team.’ That’s not my style … How all that shakes out, as we all know, you can’t predict this industry, but I’ve enjoyed doing it.”
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In 2022, Brady reportedly received a 10-year, $375 million deal from Fox to become an analyst for NFL games. The reported figure averages out to $37.5 million annually, making the seven-time Super Bowl champion one of the media’s highest-paid members.
Olsen is reportedly set to earn $3 million during the 2024 NFL season after making $10 million during the 2023 NFL season.
