Before he calls the biggest plays of the NFL season, legendary sportscaster Joe Buck is trading the broadcast booth for the game show podium. The 57-year-old voice of football and baseball will host ESPN Jeopardy! this summer, a spinoff that merges the iconic quiz show with the world of sports. The series will stream on Disney+ and Hulu, promising what ABC Entertainment calls “the ultimate match-up between sports and the world’s leading quiz show.”
Buck recently sat down with longtime baseball reporter Tim Kurkjian to dish on his new gig, and he’s clearly pumped. “I’m excited,” Buck said. “When Alex passed away, and they went through one guest host after another, probably the most famous of which was Aaron Rodgers doing a week — I think he might’ve done two — I was in that mix.” He added that his approach was refreshingly pressure-free: “Now, I showed up there, it’s like when I’ve done GMA. I just did it this year as a host a few times, and there’s a very freeing way to go about something like that when you don’t want the job. I didn’t want the full-time job, but I wanted to say A, that I had done Jeopardy! and B, I wanted to see if I could do it well.”
Fans can expect a twist on the classic format. Buck revealed that ESPN Jeopardy! will feature Triple Jeopardy, a round that amps up the stakes. “There’s Triple Jeopardy in this. You’re going to get to know the contestants instead of just the ‘Hey, well, it says here that you ate a donut once while riding a unicycle. Tell us about that,’ and then they go back to the game,” Buck explained. “It’s going to be — I think — some moments for light kind of moments in the show.”
This summer’s hosting gig is just one highlight in a massive year for Buck. Next February, he’ll team up with Troy Aikman to call Super Bowl LXI for ABC, marking the network’s first Super Bowl broadcast since 2026. “When we were doing it on a regular basis, we were doing it every three years. And it felt like every three years was about the right pace to that because it is big,” Buck said. “I can’t wait to do it next year. We’re doing it next year at ABC/ESPN…it’s going to be the biggest day in ESPN history, I think, with what’s on the line.”
Buck’s upcoming schedule also includes his usual NFL and MLB commentary, but he’s clearly embracing the game show world. His candid remarks about the guest-host whirlwind after Alex Trebek’s death offer a glimpse into how he landed this role. While Ken Jennings remains the face of the main show, Buck’s spinoff gives him a chance to put his own stamp on the franchise.
For Buck, this is a chance to step outside his comfort zone. “I wanted to see if I could do it well,” he admitted. With Triple Jeopardy and a sports-focused lens, ESPN Jeopardy! could be a hit among fans who love both trivia and athletics. The show’s summer debut on Disney+ and Hulu is sure to draw curiosity from viewers who’ve watched Buck dominate sports broadcasting for decades.
As Buck prepares for a whirlwind year, one thing is clear: whether he’s asking questions or calling touchdowns, he’s ready for the spotlight. “It’s going to be huge,” he said of the Super Bowl. But first, he’ll test his mettle in the Jeopardy! studio, and fans can’t wait to see how it plays out.
