Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Milwaukee Bucks hire Lisa Byington as TV play-by-play broadcaster

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, left, holds up the NBA Championship Trophy during a parade for the basketball team's NBA Championship win, on July 22, 2021. (Jeffrey Phelps / AP) Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, left, holds up the NBA Championship Trophy during a parade for the basketball team's NBA Championship win, on July 22, 2021. (Jeffrey Phelps / AP)
Share
MILWAUKEE -

Lisa Byington is making history as the Milwaukee Bucks' new play-by-play voice on their television broadcasts.

The Bucks announced the hiring Wednesday and said Byington is the first woman to work as a full-time television play-by-play announcer for any major men's professional sports team.

Byington replaces Jim Paschke, who retired after 35 seasons as the team's main television play-by-play broadcaster.

"I understand the groundbreaking nature of this hire, and I appreciate the fact that during this process that aspect was addressed, but never made a primary focus," . "In fact, I applaud the Bucks for taking the first steps toward making hires like this more of the norm in the NBA. Because it's time."

Earlier this year, Byington became the first female play-by-play broadcaster for the NCAA men's basketball tournament. She was a men's and women's soccer play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports in the 2021 Olympics and also did play-by-play for the Women's World Cup on Fox in 2019.

The Bucks' broadcast crew also includes Marques Johnson and Steve Novak as analysts and Zora Stephenson as a sideline reporter. Last season, Stephenson became the first woman to work as a play-by-play announcer for the Bucks when she filled in for Paschke for one game.

Byington worked as a sideline reporter for the NCAA men's basketball tournament on CBS and Turner Sports from 2017-19. She also has been a play-by-play broadcaster on NBA and WNBA games.

She became the first female play-by-play broadcaster for a Big Ten Network college football game in 2017.

Byington has broadcast games for FOX Sports, FS1, Big Ten Network, CBS, Turner Sports, Pac-12 Network, ESPN and the SEC Network in both play-by-play and reporter roles. She played basketball and soccer while attending Northwestern University.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

The brother of a 27-year-old man who was fatally shot in Scarborough over the weekend has been arrested and charged in connection with his death, say police.

The Royal Canadian Mint has introduced its latest Gold Maple Leaf bullion coin – made entirely from gold sourced from a single mine in northern Ontario

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected