Veteran Broadcaster Mark Jones to Exit ESPN After 36 Years

New York — ESPN announced Friday that longtime play‑by‑play voice Mark Jones will leave the network after a three‑decade tenure that began in 1990. The 64‑year‑old, who has been a fixture of NBA, college football and men’s and women’s college basketball coverage, will call his final NBA game this Sunday – the Orlando Magic versus the Boston Celtics.

Jones, a Toronto native, also serves as the lead television announcer for the Sacramento Kings on NBC Sports California. He signed a multi‑year extension with ESPN in 2022, yet sources say the decision to depart was his own. The network thanked him for “an enduring impact” across its platforms.

His career includes historic milestones such as being part of the first all‑Black crew to call an NBA Finals game in 2022. The farewell marks the end of an era for a broadcaster whose voice has become synonymous with major U.S. sports broadcasts.