The Milwaukee Bucks announced their new play-by-play announcer Wednesday, following the retirement of longtime Bucks broadcaster Jim Paschke.
Beginning next season, Lisa Byington will call games for Bally Sports Wisconsin. According to the Bucks, she’ll become the “first female full-time TV play-by-play announcer for a major men’s professional sports team.”
Stay informed on the latest news
Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.
“I’m absolutely thrilled for this opportunity, and the ability to work with a first-class franchise and a championship organization like the Milwaukee Bucks,” Byington said in a news release.
Byington said she understands the “groundbreaking nature” of her new role, and it’s time for hires like this to become the norm, she added.
“While we appreciate the significance of selecting Lisa, and we celebrate this historic moment, Lisa earned this position based on her extraordinary skills and experience,” Bucks President Peter Feigin said in a news release. “We look forward to Lisa becoming the voice of the Bucks.”
Byington was a play-by-play announcer for CBS and Turner Sports during the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. She called soccer matches for NBC during the Tokyo Olympics and for FOX during the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
Familiar faces, including Marques Johnson, Steve Novak and Zora Stephenson, will return to Bucks broadcasts next season, when the team aims to defend its NBA title.
The Bucks will open their preseason Oct. 5. They host the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 19 to tip off the regular season.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
