Tom Brady will call his first Super Bowl this Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59. Although he has achieved a remarkable seven rings as a player, reaching the elite status of NFL announcers known for their distinctive voices in the big game will take time. Brady will be the 35th person to join the broadcast booth for a national Super Bowl broadcast—an honor that may not match the exclusivity of his championship rings, but is nonetheless significant.
The former Patriots quarterback holds a 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox. While he has publicly committed to fulfilling the contract, speculation about his long-term status with the network persists due to his ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. Even if he fulfills the entire contract, he will only call three Super Bowls by 2034 due to the rotation involving Fox, NBC, CBS, and ABC/ESPN, which would tie him for 14th on the all-time list.
Below is a list of the 13 NFL announcers who have called at least five Super Bowls, heralded as the royalty of American broadcasting.
4 Super Bowls – Ray Scott
Legendary play-by-play announcer Ray Scott called four of the first eight games for CBS, including Super Bowl I—which was uniquely broadcast on both CBS and NBC. Scott only called the first half of that game, but he was the full-game voice for Super Bowls II, VI, and VIII. His minimalist approach inspired future announcers, including his former partner Pat Summerall.
5 Super Bowls – Frank Gifford, Merlin Olsen, Cris Collinsworth
The list of announcers who called five Super Bowls spans generations. Frank Gifford transitioned from being an analyst for Super Bowl I on CBS to calling play-by-play for Super Bowl XIX on ABC, while also forming a famous trio with Al Michaels and Dan Dierdorf on Monday Night Football. Merlin Olsen was NBC’s top NFL analyst during the 1980s, working with Curt Gowdy and Dick Enberg. Cris Collinsworth started as a studio analyst before joining the broadcast booth across various networks, with plans to call his first Super Bowl with Mike Tirico next year.
6 Super Bowls – Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman have been a top broadcast team for two decades, having called their first Super Bowl in 2005 with Collinsworth. After Collinsworth’s shift to NBC, they continued to call games for Fox before their move to ESPN in 2022. They are expected to call a game for ABC in 2027, marking its first Super Bowl broadcast since 2006.
7 Super Bowls – Curt Gowdy, Jim Nantz
Generational play-by-play announcers Curt Gowdy and Jim Nantz stand out amongst their peers, each calling seven Super Bowls. Gowdy served as NBC’s mainstay for many years, while Nantz has been a constant presence at CBS, calling notable events like The Masters. Nantz made his way into the booth in 2004 and has remained there as he partners with Tony Romo.
8 Super Bowls – Dick Enberg, Phil Simms
Dick Enberg and Phil Simms called eight Super Bowls, although they only worked together on two occasions, XXVIII and XXX, both on NBC alongside Paul Maguire. Enberg succeeded Gowdy as NBC’s lead announcer, while Simms transitioned to CBS in the mid-90s, pairing with prominent announcers like Greg Gumbel and Jim Nantz.
11 Super Bowls – Al Michaels, John Madden
Al Michaels and John Madden belong to the elite class of broadcasters who have called over ten Super Bowls. Michaels’ career has spanned over three decades, calling games from Super Bowl XXII in 1988 to LVI in 2022, including three with Madden. Madden is often celebrated for his partnership with Michaels, particularly during their final game together in 2009, the matchup between the Cardinals and Steelers.
13 Super Bowls – Pat Summerall
At the pinnacle of Super Bowl announcers is the legendary Pat Summerall, who stands alone with thirteen game calls. His career includes appearances as a sideline reporter for the first game on CBS, and he made his mark first as an analyst, working with various partners like Ray Scott and Jack Buck. Eventually, he transitioned to the play-by-play role and formed acclaimed partnerships, most notably with John Madden, as they moved together to Fox in the 1990s after CBS lost NFC rights. Summerall is unique in that he, along with Frank Gifford, is one of the few announcers to call the Super Bowl both as an analyst and in a play-by-play capacity. His final Super Bowl call was in 2002 during Super Bowl XXXVI, which notably marked the beginning of Tom Brady’s dynasty.
