Jim Nantz Got Raise in New CBS Deal, Didn't Get "Tony Romo Money"

Jim Nantz didn’t get “Tony Romo money” in his new deal, but CBS did give the 61-year-old broadcasting legend a substantial raise from the $6.5 million per year he was making, according to reports.

Discussing the deal with The Sports Business Journal, Nantz’s longtime agent Sandy Montag pushed back on the notion that his client was seeking to match Romo’s 10-year, $180 million deal, as had previously been reported.

“I can tell you that we never asked for that,” Montag said. “That’s not something that we demanded. That’s not the way we negotiate. And that’s not what we were talking about. There’s a completely different broadcaster here with different sports, so there can be a different term, there can be a different length of the deal. There’s a lot of different aspects that go into it.”

The face of CBS Sports, Nantz calls everything from NFL football to the Final Four for his network and is also the voice of the Masters. Nantz, who has a strong relationship with the powers that be at Augusta National, has said he wants to call the Masters until he is at least 75 and be the voice of the 100th Masters tournament in 2036. That being the case, it seems safe to assume that his new deal with CBS is for 15 years or longer, though the length and value of the fresh pact were not disclosed by Montag or the network.

While it was rumored that ESPN might make a run at signing Nantz, Montag said offers from other TV networks were never entertained during the negotiations with CBS Sports Chair Sean McManus.

“From the beginning, CBS was the only place that Jim ever wanted to work for, and he wanted to finish his career there,” Montag said. “Sean and I were able to work out a deal which is fantastic for both sides. Jim is enthusiastic about helping this work out.”

Nantz has been with CBS Sports since 1985 and it appears his run at the network will extend over the course of five decades, at least, before it is done.

“The discussions were very cordial because we both had the same goal, which was making sure that Jim stayed at CBS for a long time,” McManus told The SBJ. “The end result is fair for Jim and for CBS.”

It just isn’t Romo money.