Madden close to joining 'MNF'
By Michael Conroy, AP
John Madden (right, with longtime TV partner Pat Summerall) could take his broadcasting skills to ABC next fall.
John Madden, the popular NFL television analyst, has been released from the remaining year of his contract with Fox and was nearing a deal to join ABC's Monday Night Football telecasts, a network official and people familiar with the situation said Wednesday night.
Madden is expected to receive a four-year contract from ABC worth about $5 million a year. The deal could be announced as early as Thursday. He was set to make $7.5 million from Fox next year.
Madden, 65, would join Al Michaels in a pairing of superstar announcers. Dennis Miller and Dan Fouts, who have been on Monday Night Football for the past two seasons and have one year left on their contracts, would be dropped from the broadcast. Fouts likely would remain with the network in some capacity. Miller's status is unclear.
"I'm under contract to ABC," Fouts said, "I look forward to serving out the remainder of that contract. We will have talks with ABC in the near future."
Fox senior vice president Lou D'Ermilio and Madden's agents, Barry Frank and Sandy Montag, declined to comment. Madden was not available to comment.
Fox recently reported a $397 million loss on its NFL contract. It could not persuade Madden to accept a three-year extension of his deal under which he would have received less annually than he was set to make in 2002.
Also, Madden no longer would have had his partner of 21 years at CBS and Fox, Pat Summerall. Summerall's contract with Fox expired after last season and Fox had decided to remove him from its No. 1 announcing team.
Cris Collinsworth, the stalwart of Fox NFL Sunday studio show, appears likely to succeed Madden on Fox's No. 1 NFL game team. He likely would work with play-by-play man Joe Buck.
"If the opportunity presents itself, and it appears it will, it would be something Cris would have to consider," said Steve Rosner, Collinsworth's agent.
By Michael Conroy, AP
John Madden (right, with longtime TV partner Pat Summerall) could take his broadcasting skills to ABC next fall.
John Madden, the popular NFL television analyst, has been released from the remaining year of his contract with Fox and was nearing a deal to join ABC's Monday Night Football telecasts, a network official and people familiar with the situation said Wednesday night.
Madden is expected to receive a four-year contract from ABC worth about $5 million a year. The deal could be announced as early as Thursday. He was set to make $7.5 million from Fox next year.
Madden, 65, would join Al Michaels in a pairing of superstar announcers. Dennis Miller and Dan Fouts, who have been on Monday Night Football for the past two seasons and have one year left on their contracts, would be dropped from the broadcast. Fouts likely would remain with the network in some capacity. Miller's status is unclear.
"I'm under contract to ABC," Fouts said, "I look forward to serving out the remainder of that contract. We will have talks with ABC in the near future."
Fox senior vice president Lou D'Ermilio and Madden's agents, Barry Frank and Sandy Montag, declined to comment. Madden was not available to comment.
Fox recently reported a $397 million loss on its NFL contract. It could not persuade Madden to accept a three-year extension of his deal under which he would have received less annually than he was set to make in 2002.
Also, Madden no longer would have had his partner of 21 years at CBS and Fox, Pat Summerall. Summerall's contract with Fox expired after last season and Fox had decided to remove him from its No. 1 announcing team.
Cris Collinsworth, the stalwart of Fox NFL Sunday studio show, appears likely to succeed Madden on Fox's No. 1 NFL game team. He likely would work with play-by-play man Joe Buck.
"If the opportunity presents itself, and it appears it will, it would be something Cris would have to consider," said Steve Rosner, Collinsworth's agent.
