ESPN and Martin Tyler, the company's lead English-language commentator for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, have mutually agreed to end their relationship ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Tyler came to ESPN in October 2009 as a commentator for the World Cup in 2010 and 2014. In South Africa, he commentated on 18 of the 64 matches including the opener, the final and all matches played by England. Tyler and commentators that included Ian Darke, Adrian Healey and Derek Rae, helped elevate ESPN's presentation of the quadrennial competition. ESPN earned critical acclaim for its month-long coverage of the first World Cup in Africa and garnered more than 40 industry awards highlighted by three Sports Emmys, a record for any event on the network. "We truly thank Martin for his immense contribution to the overall success of our 2010 FIFA World Cup presentation," said Jed Drake, senior Vice president and executive producer, ESPN Production. "He played a vital role as part of a brilliant team of commentators, pundits and producers, who made the World Cup experience memorable for U.S. fans."Videos