NBA is the 2nd most popular sport in the United States following the NFL. People know almost everything about the likes of Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, etc the famous NBA players including their stats, salaries, & history. Now it’s time to know about the announcers who are the “voice of the game of the NBA”. Find out the NBA Commentators’ Salary in 2024. Check out the list of the Highest-Paid NBA Commentators or Announcers. NBA League Pass New Price for 2023.
NBA Commentators Salary 2024
Get to know “How much do NBA commentators get paid?” “How much do NBA commentators make a year?” The salary sum is based on experience and quality. Generally, the best and the most experienced commentators bag in millions while the average commentators gather thousands throughout the year.
How much do NBA commentators get paid?
| Standard or Quality | Weekly Salary | Salary per Month | Annual Wage Fee |
| Average | 1.5k to 2k US Dollars | 6k to 8k US Dollars | 80k-100k+ US Dollars |
| Experienced or Well Established | 20k to 60k US Dollars | 80k to 250k US Dollars | 1-3 Million US Dollars |
| Elite or Best | 100k to 200k US Dollars | 400k to 800k US Dollars | 5-10 Million US Dollars |
How much do NBA commentators make a year
The NBA commentators don’t get anything gigantic like the players but still, they manage to pocket a healthy sum each year. An average NBA commentator with less experience gathers around 80 Thousand to 100 Thousand US Dollars per year. Then comes the well-established kind of announcers who do have more than 2 years experience, would take more than a million to 3m US Dollars per year. While the bests in the business or the elite panel announcers generally make around 5-10 million US Dollars each year.
| Standard | Experience Level | Yearly or Annual Salary |
| Average | Less than 2 Years | 80 Thousand to 100 Thousand US Dollars |
| Experienced | More than 2 Years | 1 Million to 3 Million US Dollars |
| Elite | More than 5 Years | 5 Million to 10 Million US Dollars |
How much do NBA commentators make per Game
The NBA commentators generally make a good sum of money per game. Announcing every game would make them pocket from as less as 1.5k US Dollars to as healthy as 200k US Dollars based on their quality.
| Quality | Salary Per Game |
| The New Faces | 1.5k US Dollars |
| Below Average | 2k US Dollars |
| A Bit Experienced | At Least 20k US Dollars |
| Above Average | Up to 60k US Dollars |
| Very Good | At Least 100k US Dollars |
| The Bests | Up to 200k US Dollars |
Highest-Paid NBA Commentators 2024
Now let’s take a look at the highest-paid NBA Commentators’ salary chart as of 2024.
| Commentator Name | Annual Salary or Earnings | Major Role | Channels (Worked On) |
| Stephen A. Smith | 10 Million US Dollars | Commentator and Analyst | ESPN |
| Bob Costas | 7 Million US Dollars | Play-by-Play Commentator and Host | WGN-TV, CBS, NBC Sports |
| Mike Greenberg | 6.5 Million US Dollars | Studio Host | ESPN, ABC |
| Michael Wilbon | 6 Million US Dollars | Studio Analyst | ESPN |
| Tony Kornheiser | 6 Million US Dollars | Studio Host | ESPN |
| Skip Bayless | 6 Million US Dollars | Sports Writer and Analyst | ESPN |
| Al Michaels | 6 Million US Dollars | Commentator | NBC Sports, ABC |
| Dan Patrick | 5 Million US Dollars | Analyst | ESPN, NBC Sports |
| Charles Barkley | 5 Million US Dollars | Commentator and Analyst | TNT, CBS |
| Michelle Beadle | 5 Million US Dollars | Studio Host | ESPN |
| Linda Cohn | 3 Million US Dollars | Studio Host | ESPN |
| Jalen Rose | 3 Million US Dollars | Studio Host | ESPN |
| Marv Albert | 2 Million US Dollars | Play-by-Play Commentator | TNT |
| Grant Hill | 2 Million US Dollars | Commentator | NBA TV |
| Jay Bilas | 2 Million US Dollars | Commentator | CBS, ESPN |
| Rachel Nichols | 1.5 Million US Dollars | Studio Host | ESPN |
| Kevin Harlan | 1 Million US Dollars | Broadcaster | TNT |
| Dan Shulman | 1 Million US Dollars | Commentator | ESPN |
| Ian Eagle | 400k US Dollars | Play-by-Play Commentator | TNT |
| Rebecca Haarlow | 50k US Dollars | Sideline Reporter | TNT |
Top 10 NBA Commentators 2024
Here are the top 10 NBA Commentators in 2024 based on salary or wage fee. The list includes Play-by-Play Commentator, Analyst, Host, Studio Host, Studio Analyst, Sports Writer cum Analyst, etc.
- Stephen A Smith
- Bob Costas
- Mike Greenberg
- Tony Kornheiser
- Michael Wilbon
- Al Michaels
- Skip Bayless
- Charles Barkley
- Michelle Beadle
- Dan Patrick
How much do play-by-play Announcers make
A play-by-play announcer or commentator describes the game that’s going on as it happens. They are the primary speakers. And actually valued for their articulateness and ability to describe the events of an often fast-moving contest. The play-by-play Announcers generally make from half a million to more than 5 million USD per year. Some mention-worthy play-by-play announcers’ salaries are given below:
| Name | Yearly or Annual Salary & Earnings |
| Bob Costas | 7 Million US Dollars |
| Manv Albert | 2 Million US Dollars |
| Ian Eagle | 400k US Dollars |
Who is the highest paid NBA employee?
Stephen A. Smith is the highest-paid NBA employee among the commentators, hosts, & analysts. The Bronx, New York-born Commentator cum Analyst serves for the world’s highest-earning sports TV network ESPN. The 55-year-old commentator pockets a bag full of dollars for the services he provides. He is the highest earner among NBA employees as the 1.85m tall man receives a gigantic 10 million US Dollars per year. The speculated overall yearly earnings of him as of 2023 are predicted to be approximately 12 million USD.
| Highest-Paid NBA Commentator | Stephen A. Smith |
| Network or Employer | ESPN |
| Annual Earnings of Stephen A Smith | 10 Million US Dollars |
| Salary per Month | 833k US Dollars |
| Weekly Salary | 192k US Dollars |
| Role | Commentator and Analyst |
How much does Charles Barkley make as a commentator?
Charles Wade Barkley is a former professional basketball player who is currently serving as a television analyst & commentator on TNT and CBS Sports. He has been listed among the top 10 highest-paid NBA commentators. The 60 years old Leeds, Alabama-born NBA commentator bags a massive 5 million US Dollars every year.
| Commentator | Charles Wade Barkley (Among Top 10 Highest-Paid NBA Commentators) |
| Network or Employer | TNT, CBS |
| Role | Commentator and Analyst |
| Annual Earnings of Charles Barkley | 5 Million US Dollars |
| Monthly Wage Fee | 416k US Dollars |
| Weekly Salary | 96k US Dollars |
Who is the most famous NBA commentator?
Martin Irving Glickman is the most famous NBA analyst. There are a few more candidates but bleacher report has ranked him as the absolute best. The man who passed away 22 years ago is still remembered for his works. He was actually famous for his broadcasts of the New York Knicks basketball games. He also used to announce the football games of the New York Giants and the New York Jets. BR urged the fans to watch HBO’s entire documentary about Marty Glickman.
Who is the best NBA analyst?
It’s a very tough call to announce the absolute best NBA analyst in the world. But TNT’s Marv Albert has established himself as a special one. The 81 years old American sportscaster has been included in the Basketball Hall of Fame for his works throughout his career.
What is the salary of NBA commentators?
NBA commentators earn quite a healthy sum depending on their quality and experience. The sum varies from 50k to even 10 million US Dollars. However, the wage fees of Basketball Commentators in the US range from $27.37k to $187.2k. The median salary of basketball announcers in the US is 65.53k Dollars.
General basketball commentators’ salary ranges in the country has been presented in the below chart.
| Lower Limit of the Salary Range | 27.37k US Dollars |
| Upper Limit of the Salary Range | 187.2k US Dollars |
| Median Salary | 65.53k US Dollars |
| Middle 50% of Basketball Commentators Earn | 27.37k US Dollars |
| Top 75% of Basketball Commentators Earn | 187.2k US Dollars |
