ESPN's fantasy football offerings are going to be shaken up significantly heading into the 2022 NFL season.
Most notably, fantasy football owners will no longer be able to find Matthew Berry's analysis on the website or any of the network's digital platforms.
Berry's time with ESPN has come to an end after 15 years, he announced Monday on Twitter. The long-time face of fantasy football at the worldwide leader in sports said he is leaving ESPN at the end of the week.
So… some personal news: This is my last week at ESPN. pic.twitter.com/cDcVgN2BSc
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) July 11, 2022
It is not immediately clear who will help to replace Berry and the role he filled at ESPN. That said, the network does have a deep stable of fantasy writers that it has increasingly relied on in recent years.
Nonetheless, Berry's departure will come as a surprise to many. Why is he leaving ESPN? And what's next for him? Here's everything we know about TheTalented Mr. Roto's decision.
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Why is Matthew Berry leaving ESPN?
It seems that Berry made the decision to leave ESPN, as the network announced in a statement about his impending departure.
Matthew Berry expressed a desire to explore new opportunities beyond ESPN. After discussing it with him, we agreed to support it. Since joining 15 years ago, Matthew has provided a distinctive and creative voice and been a catalyst in the proliferation of fantasy sports. He is dedicated and talented and we wish him the best in his next endeavor.
Berry himself didn't offer details on his departure in his announcement. He acknowledged that he "thought he'd never write" that he was leaving ESPN and used his tweet as an opportunity to thank the many people who supported him in his 15 years with the company.
"ESPN gave me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write and talk fantasy sports on every possible ESPN platform," Berry wrote on Twitter. "On a personal level, ESPN is where I made lifelong friends, met my wife, and started my family. I am forever indebted to ESPN."
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What's next for Matthew Berry?
Berry is going to be joining NBC Sports as their new fantasy analyst. The company made the announcement in a statement and said that Berry would be a part of the "Sunday Night Football" pregame show "Football Night in America" as well as other original programing on NBC and Peaco*ck.
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) August 4, 2022Welcome to the NBC Sports team, @MatthewBerryTMR!
Matthew Berry joins Football Night in America and will host daily and weekly shows highlighting fantasy football and more on NBC, @peaco*ckTV and NBC Sports digital platforms. pic.twitter.com/GJ5mudUFRY
Andrew Marchand of the New York Post first reported that NBC was "the favorite" to land Berry. Marchand writes that NBC "could use Berryto try to boost its subscription site, Peaco*ck, as well as on TV and on its website."
Berry didn't announce what was next for him in the immediate aftermath of his departure from ESPN. However, he did hint that he is "really excited about the future" in a follow-up tweet attached to his announcement.
I’m really excited about the future but there will plenty of time to talk about that before the season. For now, I just want to take some time to reflect and celebrate an incredible 15 years. Thanks for the support. I love you all.
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) July 11, 2022
"There will plenty of time to talk about that before the season," Berry wrote. "For now, I just want to take some time to reflect and celebrate an incredible 15 years. Thanks for the support. I love you all."
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Who will replace Matthew Berry at ESPN?
ESPN hasn't yet revealed who will take over for Berry, but it may not be one person. The company hinted at the possibility that multiple people could take on bigger roles within its fantasy department to replace Berry, who was a senior fantasy analyst.
We remain as committed as ever to fantasy sports, with the number one game and platform, a deep roster of experts to lead us going forward, and new features coming to Fantasy Football. We will announce details about programming, personalities, and our games in the weeks ahead.
It seems likely that ESPN will rely on that "deep roster" to lead its fantasy charge in 2022. Contributors to that staff include, but aren't limited to,Mike Clay, Matt Bowen, Eric Karabell, Tristan H. co*ckcroft, Eric Moody, Daniel Dopp, Stephania Bell and Field Yates.
Matthew Berry net worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Matthew Berry has a net worth of $2 million. He has made most of his money as a fantasy analyst but also worked as a writer on "The George Carlin Show", "Married... with Children" and "Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles."
Berry, 52, was entering the final year of a two-year contract with ESPN at the time of his departure from the network.
