Chris Berman's New Role with ESPN Revealed

Chris Berman's long-rumored retirement isn't happening. However, the ESPN broadcaster is moving away from some of the roles that made him one of the most prominent voices of his generation. 

The network announced Thursday that Berman will cease his hosting duties of its NFL studio shows, the NFL draft and MLB Home Run Derby. Berman will host NFL Primetime after the Super Bowl and conference championship games and will continue appearing on Monday Night Countdown.

In addition, Berman's new role will include "public-facing roles" on behalf of the company.

Berman said the following in a statement: 

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I’ve been lucky enough to spend almost two-thirds of my life at ESPN, and I am honored to have lent a small hand in laying the cornerstone for what has truly become a beacon in sports. I’m thrilled that this ride will continue, albeit differently. Today’s announcement allows me to fulfill perhaps my final professional goal – knowing that I will finish with the team I came in with.

"

ESPN did not disclose what those roles would be, nor did the network announce who would be replacing Berman as the host of Sunday NFL Countdown. The 61-year-old has been a staple on Sunday Countdown since its inception in 1985.

Trey Wingo replaced Berman as the regular-season host of NFL Primetime in 2006, when ESPN acquired the Monday Night Football license. Suzy Kolber replaced Berman as the host of Monday Night Countdown in 2015, with Berman serving as a secondary panelist/host since. It's unclear if ESPN will continue to run "The Blitz," a SportsCenter segment centered on Berman and other co-hosts that has served as a pseudo-replacement for his Primetime duties.

Wingo and Kolber, longtime ESPN employees with a bevy of NFL experience, would be the logical in-house replacements for Berman on Sundays. 

Arguably the most famous voice in studio-hosting history, Berman began his career at ESPN's launch in 1979. He served as one of its most steady and recognizable voices during the network's rise to power, which helped facilitate his own growing fame. 

Berman commented on his time at ESPN:

"

The whole experience here has been a dream come true. When we started in 1979, I was just 24. Nobody knew if ESPN would make it, or, for that matter, if cable TV would make it. I certainly wasn’t sure I would make it, but I really didn’t care. We were too busy having a blast, talking sports with viewers who were just like us, even if it was during the wee hours of the morning. We got to band together here in Bristol, Connecticut, and put out a product of which we were all very proud.

"

Berman has won the National Sports Broadcaster of the Year award six times, won the 2010 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award and had a star placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ESPN will air a special program commemorating Berman's time with the company Feb. 2. 

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.