This season, the Milwaukee Bucks will welcome the first female, full-time play-by-play TV announcer for a major professional men’s sports team.
The NBA announced on Wednesday that Lisa Byington would serve as the team’s lead announcer for games on the regional Bally Sports Wisconsin.
“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. We look forward to Lisa becoming the voice of the Bucks,” said Bucks and Fiserv Forum President Peter Feigin in the NBA’s announcement.
Byington is no stranger to breaking barriers. Last spring, she was the first woman in CBS and Turner Sports history to serve as the play-by-play announcer for men’s NCAA Tournament games, according to USA Today.
In 2017, she was also the first female play-by-play announcer for a Big Ten Network college football game, the NBA’s announcement reported.
“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,” Byington said of her new role in the NBA’s announcement.
The former Northwestern basketball and soccer player has previously worked as a reporter and play-by-play announcer for Fox Sports, FS1, Big Ten Network, CBS, Turner Sports, Pac-12 Network, ESPN and the SEC Network, the announcement added.