In 1979, a new cable network hired a novice broadcaster, and they both became legendary. The network was ESPN, and the then-24-year-old broadcaster was Chris Berman, now a celebrated and influential figure in the world of sports broadcasting. At the time, this was unprecedented:  there had never been anything on television like ESPN before; the people who worked there invented it as they did it.

Chris Berman himself was amazed by the opportunity to do a 30-minute nightly television show that would be seen throughout the United States. “There were so few of us and so much to do," recalls the sportscaster of those early days. "There was no one telling us what we should be trying to do. We were Lewis and Clark." ESPN quickly became the place viewers turned to for sports and the latest in sports news. "We certainly were a part of what already was an explosion," Chris points out. "We were a different kind of igniter. We're kind of synonymous with the growth of cable. And cable begat the local cable sports. The thirst level just never got quenched."

As ESPN moved into the 1980s, Chris was part of ESPN's coverage of the NFL Draft for the first time, and in 1982, after covering "The Catch" in the NFC Championship game, Berman and producer Tom Reilly edited a five-minute game report that aired on ESPN that evening. It is the first time in ESPN's history that a feature was edited on site and turned around in time for the 11 p.m. SportsCenter broadcast. From the beginning, he played a significant role in shaping ESPN's tone. "People made a connection with him," says Norby Williamson, EVP, production, ESPN. "He, more than anyone who works here, is ESPN. He put ESPN on the map, and over the decades, he became synonymous with who we are.” Tom Jackson, Chris's colleague on Sunday NFL Countdown, called Berman "the face of ESPN for three decades. The successes that we have had are all tied to [Berman]."

During his time with ESPN, Chris has covered everything from the World Series and the Super Bowl to Monday Night Football and the U.S. Open. He grew with ESPN and became an audience favorite, being selected as National Sportscaster of the Year on several occasions (1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, and 2001). Some of the legend’s other honors include the distinguished Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

"ESPN is truly one of the great success stories company-wise in the history of our country,” stated Chris. He hosted SportsCenter until 1990, working overnight during ESPN's first four years. He is best known as the network’s lead voice for the NFL for over three decades from mornings through the afternoon and into the night, hosting Sunday NFL Countdown, the critically acclaimed NFL Primetime, and the Fastest 3 Minutes at halftime on Sunday Night and Monday Night Football. Using the alter ego "The Swami," the anchor started weekly NFL predictions and observations on SportsCenter. He was proud to say that in 2016, the final full season as “The Swami,” he registered his best regular season record ever, finishing 51-32.

One of the ways this colorful sports anchor endeared himself to audiences and players alike was by creating catchy nicknames for players, like Bert "Be Home" Blyleven, Roberto "Remember the" Alomar, Jim "2 Silhouettes on" Deshais and Fred "Crime Dog" McGriff.

Technical Director Chuck Pagano even blessed Chris with a nickname of his own, after he heard the broadcaster’s powerful voice and nicknamed him "Boomer,” shortened by others to just "Boom." Throughout his career, he has been praised by the media, viewers, and players alike for his lighthearted, humorous approach to sports broadcasting.

In January 2017, following the final Sunday NFL Countdown show Chris hosted in Bristol, Connecticut, ESPN fittingly renamed the NFL studio in its Digital Center 2 production building “The Chris Berman-Tom Jackson Studio” for their long-time pairing on the wildly successful NFL PrimeTime. A plaque displayed outside the studio reads in part: “Their 29-year on-air partnership is a sports television record that has earned them a special place in the hearts and minds of football fans everywhere.”

A much-honored broadcasting pioneer, Chris was named the winner of the prestigious Reds Bagnell Award from the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia in 2001. In 2009, he was honored with the Pat Summerall Award, and in 2017, was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame. In 2010, Chris received a star—the 2,409^th— on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "I can only hope that the previous 2,408 have had as much fun getting here as I have," he said at the ceremony in Hollywood.

Outside of sports, Chris is a music aficionado who has sung with Huey Lewis and the News more than a dozen times, twice with Eddie Money, and appeared in a video with Hootie and the Blowfish. He has also appeared in 16 sports-themed motion pictures, including The Waterboy (1998), The Longest Yard (2005), Draft Day (2014), and Happy Gilmore 2 (2025), and on such television series, as Sesame Street, ABC’s Spin City, and HBO’s Arliss. Chris is also an avid golfer, and his professional partners at Pro-Am events have combined to win 48 major tournaments.

Chris is expected to be a part of ESPN's first-ever Super Bowl coverage in 2027. However, he also celebrated a milestone as the network turned 46 years old in 2025. "He is the best highlights man who ever lived," fellow broadcaster Tom Jackson reflected. "I know that because I am with him when he does it, and I've been with him for almost 25 years watching him do it.” Norby Williamson, EVP, production, ESPN said of Chris: "Fans respond to his authentic love of sports, his ability to savor and capture the big moments, and his on-air style that reminds us how live games can truly be equal parts essential and fun."