Is Mark Jones Retiring? Why Sportscaster Is Leaving ESPN After 36 Years

Doris Burke gets emotional in moving tribute to longtime partner Mark Jones

Sunday, April 12, 2026, marked a special and deeply emotional moment for NBA broadcasts on ESPN, as Doris Burke and Mark Jones called their final game together during the matchup b

Is Mark Jones retiring? Why sportscaster is leaving ESPN after 36 years

Mark Jones will be exiting ESPN at the end of the NBA season. Here's why.

Mark Jones has emotional sign-off alongside Doris Burke after 36 years with ESPN

Credit: ESPNSunday night’s NBA game between the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics was the final broadcast of play-by-play announcer Mark Jones’ 36-year career with ESPN. After joining ESPN in 1990, Jones is leaving the network by choice. However, Jones isn’t retiring from broadcasting. He recently said that he hopes to remain the play-by-play voice of the Sacramento Kings for “a long, long time.” But after 36 years with ESPN, it was understandabl…

On the Air: How Mark Jones used his unique voice to become an ESPN mainstay

The following article "On the Air: How Mark Jones used his unique voice to become an ESPN mainstay" originally appeared on Sports Media Watch. Welcome back to “On the Air,” in which Sports Media Watch Podcast co-host Armand Broady will offer in-depth breakdowns of broadcasters, on-air performance and career journeys, plus chronicle broader trends in the industry. Mark Jones’ 36-year career at ESPN is coming to an end. Any broadcaster who can boa…

Longtime ESPN Voice to Exit Network After 36-Year Run

Mark Jones is officially stepping away from ESPN, bringing an end to one of the longest and most recognizable broadcasting runs in modern sports media. After 36 years behind the mic, the veteran play-by-play announcer confirmed he will leave the network following the conclusion of the NBA regular season. ESPN Pays Tribute to a Signature Voice In a statement, ESPN acknowledged Jones’ lasting impact across multiple decades. “Mark has made an endur…