What is Jim Nantz's Net Worth and Salary?
Jim Nantz is a sportscaster who has a net worth of $40 million. Jim Nantz has worked for CBS Sports since 1985. For the network, he has covered the NFL, the NBA, NCAA Division I men's football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Nantz has anchored CBS's coverage of the Masters Tournament since 1989, and has been the lead play-by-play announcer for NFL coverage since 2004.
Salary & Contracts
As part of his 2009 divorce proceedings, it was revealed that Jim's annual income at that point was $7 million, of which roughly $5 million came from his CBS contract. At some point thereafter, his CBS salary was increased to $6.5 million per year under a contract that expired at the end of 2020. In the lead up to his contract re-negotiation, Jim's co-broadcaster of NFL games, Tony Romo, was given a 10-year, $180 million contract. Romo's deal was the largest sports commentator contract of all time, up to that point.
Jim was reportedly holding out for an equivalent amount, which made sense because he also works on non-NFL events for CBS. In February 2021, CBS locked fellow commentator Ian Eagle up in a long-term extension that is worth an estimated $80 million over 10 years. In March 2021, Jim announced that he had singed a new deal with CBS. The final salary details were not revealed but considering Romo's salary, and the roughly $10 million Joe Buck and Mike Tirico make at Fox and NBC, respectively, Jim Nantz's salary is almost certainly over $10 million, perhaps as much as $15 million.
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Early Life and Education
James Nantz III was born on May 17, 1959 in Charlotte, North Carolina and was raised in both New Orleans, Louisiana and Colts Neck and Marlboro Townships in New Jersey. As a student at Marlboro High School, he co-captained the basketball team and the golf team. Nantz went on to attend the University of Houston, where he played with the Cougars men's golf team. He graduated in 1981 with a BA in radio and television broadcasting.
Career Beginnings in Sportscasting
Nantz began his broadcasting career as an anchor and sportscaster on the Houston television station KHOU. After that, from 1982 to 1985, he served as a weekend sports anchor on Salt Lake City's KSL-TV, where he called Utah Jazz games as well as BYU football games.
CBS Sports
Nantz joined CBS Sports in 1985. Initially, he served as a studio host for the network's college football and basketball coverage, and also served as an on-course reporter for the PGA Tour. From 1986 to 1989, Nantz was a play-by-play announcer for NBA games, and from 1987 to 1990 he did play-by-play for NFL games on CBS Radio. Meanwhile, in 1987, he began doing play-by-play for the US Open. In 1989, Nantz started anchoring CBS's coverage of the Masters Tournament, and also became the lead play-by-play announcer for NCAA football. The next year, following the ouster of Brent Musburger, he became the lead play-by-play announcer for the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Nantz remained in that role until 2023.
In 1998, Nantz began hosting CBS's pre-game program "The NFL Today." He also served as the primetime host for coverage of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. After retiring as host of "The NFL Today" in 2003, Nantz became the lead play-by-play announcer for CBS's NFL coverage, joining lead analyst Phil Simms in the stadium booth and announcers Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan on air. In 2007, Nantz called the play-by-play for Super Bowl XLI. Later, in 2014, he and Simms began calling Thursday Night Football games. Simms was replaced by former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo as Nantz's new color commentator starting in 2017. With Romo, Nantz went on to call Super Bowls LIII, LV, and LVIII.
Other Media Appearances
Nantz has made cameo appearances on various television shows, including "Arliss," "Criminal Minds," and "How I Met Your Mother." He also played the announcer for the fictional baseball team the New York Empires on the short-lived series "Clubhouse" from 2004 to 2005, and appeared in the Nickelodeon television film "Fantasy Football." Elsewhere, Nantz has made a number of appearances on the game show "The Price is Right" to present showcase prizes involving CBS Sports properties.
Nantz has appeared in some television commercials, including ones for Papa John's Pizza and Capital One. He has also done voiceover work for video games, having provided commentary for the PC golf game "Jack Nicklaus 6: Golden Bear Challenge" and, along with Phil Simms, commentary for the popular "Madden NFL" series from 2012 to 2016.
Winemaking
In 2009, Nantz partnered with wine producer Peter Deutsch to launch a private wine label called The Calling. The wine had its first vintage released in 2012.
Personal Life
Nantz married his first wife, Ann-Lorraine Carlsen, in 1983. They had a daughter named Caroline and lived in Westport, Connecticut. The couple divorced in 2009, with Nantz ordered to pay Carlsen $916,000 a year in child support and alimony. Nantz went on to marry Courtney Richards in 2012; they had a daughter and a son before divorcing in 2023.
Nantz published his first book, "Always By My Side: A Father's Grace and a Sports Journey Unlike Any Other," in 2008. In the book, he tells personal stories about football, basketball, and golf, and talks about the positive influence of his father, who passed away from Alzheimer's disease the same year as the book's release.
