k to a new deal - but so far, not Aikman - and Amazon has signed Kirk Herbstreit, who also calls college game at ESPN, to provisional terms. ESPN and Amazon have so far declined to comment on the status of those announcers' deals.

TV networks rushed to line up top talent to call games after the NFL struck a pivotal 11-year rights deal in 2021. At the time, the thought from many TV sports chiefs was that they had to spend money to make money. Romo carved out new terrain at CBS Sports after revealing a knack for predicting game play - all but forcing CBS to re-sign the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback to a multi-season pact in 2020 valued at around $17 million a year.

Since that time, most of CBS' contemporaries have followed suit. When ESPN signed former Fox Sports mainstays Buck and Aikman to deals in 2022 to call  Monday Night Football,  it was seen as a critical move that would help the Disney-backed sports-media giant soothe what had become a troubled relationship with the NFL. Amazon lured NBC Sports' Al Michaels and ESPN's Herbstreit to serve as the voices for  Thursday Night Football.  And Fox secured the services of none other than Brady, a move that crowded out sportscaster Olsen.

People familiar with the market estimate top football-booth personnel can earn between $15 million and $20 million per season.

CBS Sports may have other talent issues to juggle in weeks to come. Ian Eagle, a veteran who calls secondary NFL games for CBS Sports, is also believed to have a contract that is set to lapse. He also calls NBA games for Amazon's Prime Video.