Joe Tessitore

Recent work

Joe Tessitore is an award-winning TV broadcaster for ESPN and ABC. He is best known for his on-air work with ESPN/ABC College Football and ESPN Boxing. He is widely regarded as one of the most versatile broadcasters at the network. Joe is the lead play-by-play broadcaster for ESPN's Saturday Night College Football Primetime Game and the College Football Playoff. In 2017 Joe became the co-host of ABC's Battle of the Network Stars, a reboot of the Howard Cossell led celebrity classic from the 1970s and 80s. Joe has become a sports fan favorite through the years with his distinctive style, commanding voice and penchant for thrilling moments to materialize during his broadcasts. National media and sports writers have dubbed it, "The Tess Effect," as social media buzzes when Joe is calling a big game or live event.

He appears in the booth alongside veteran broadcaster Todd Blackledge. Tessitore, with his primetime crew, has been honored for his work including being chosen by Sports Illustrated as the 2016 Broadcast Team of the Year.

In addition to his primary role in College Football, Joe is the lead broadcaster for College Basketball's Super Tuesday on ESPN, and the SEC Basketball Tournament, where he is paired with Dick Vitale and Sean Farnham. Through the years he is also a constant presence on ESPN Boxing alongside famed trainer Teddy Atlas. Joe also spent years as ESPN/ABC host of Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup Horse Racing. In 2008 Joe was the leading the ABC broadcast team when undefeated colt Big Brown failed to win horse racing's Triple Crown. In 2015 he was trackside anchoring Sportscenter's weeklong coverage of American Pharaoh's history making win.

Since 2004, Tessitore has been the voice for the top selling Fight Night video game series produced by EA Sports. He also played himself in three national commercials for Dr. Pepper which aired extensively through fall of 2016 and winter of 2017. Tessitore’s distinct voice-over work has been used in several feature films, including Annapolis, The Breakup, plus numerous TV programs. He has also appeared in the TV drama The Dead Zone acting as himself in an episode.

Tessitore has produced documentaries for ESPN's award-winning 30 for 30 series. In 2011 Tessitore was the executive producer of the ESPN Film Roll Tide, War Eagle. In 2012, he was the consulting producer on ESPN's 30 for 30 featuring Bo Jackson.

Previously he served in the play-by-play role for ESPN's Thursday Night Football and was host of SEC Nation paired with Tim Tebow and Paul Finebaum. He also has hosted ESPN's College Football Final, College Football Live, various Sportscenter Specials and Joe has long been a fixture on ESPN's presentation of the Heisman Trophy, as he is considered the leading expert on the trophy and its voting history. Joe is the host of ESPN's extensive coverage of National Signing Day. He has been the broadcaster of multiple Orange Bowls, the Peach Bowl, the Sugar Bowl broadcast team. He has worked play-by-play for the BCS Championship on ESPN 3D, and is the lead broadcaster for ESPNs Megacast Homers edition of College Football's National Championship Games.

Joe spent many years anchoring ABC/ESPN Horse Racing presentations including The Belmont Stakes and The Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Joe has also been a popular longtime blow-by-blow boxing broadcaster on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights paired with legendary boxing trainer Teddy Atlas.

In August 2012 Joe was the subject of an extensive feature story titled, "Tessitore becoming major voice of college football, one upset at a time", written by Stewart Mandel.

For five years Tessitore was the host of ESPN’s live New Year's Eve specials including RedBull New Year, No Limits and the debut of ESPN's Year of the Quarterback.

Joe has broadcast some of the most thrilling games in recent college football. In 2016 he was the broadcaster of ABC's Texas double-overtime thrilling win over Notre Dame, as well as calling highly rated overtime games between Arkansas/TCU and Nebraska/Wisconsin. In 2013, he was the broadcaster of Penn State's upset of then unbeaten Michigan in four overtimes. He also broadcast the Ole Miss last second upset of #6 LSU, as well as #21 South Carolina's double-overtime upset of previously unbeaten #5 Missouri. He had the dramatic call of Iowa State's double-overtime win of #2 Oklahoma State, as well as Robert Griffin's last second TD pass for Baylor's stunning victory over #5 Oklahoma. In 2010 Joe also was the play by play host for two of the biggest upsets of the year. On November 26, 2010, he was ESPN's play-by-play broadcaster for #19 Nevada's overtime upset of #4 Boise State. October 2010 Joe had the call of undefeated LSU's dramatic last second win over Florida. Joe also was ESPN's host/anchor when famed race horse Zenyatta's unbeaten streak was stopped. The champion filly was defeated in the Breeders' Cup Classic. In College Basketball he was the ESPN broadcaster for Illinois' last second come from behind victory over #1 Indiana.

In addition to his regular duties of football, horse racing and fights Joe has covered a wide array of sporting events for ESPN and is also a featured contributor for ESPN.com.

Tessitore has been honored for his on air work. Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch has twice named him a finalist for Sports Media Person of the Year. On January 18, 2010, he accepted an Eclipse Award on behalf of his ESPN production team for their Belmont Stakes broadcast on ABC. On June 4, 2010 the Boxing Writers of America presented Tessitore with the prestigious Sam Taub award for Broadcast Excellence. The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame included Tessitore in their 2010 class of inductees.

Joe is considered an expert in many of the fields he covers. He is part of Ring Magazine’s rankings panel as well as a voter for the Heisman Trophy. On April 3, 2010, Joe was the lead host and ringside broadcaster for HBO PPV's Bernard Hopkins victory over longtime rival Roy Jones Jr on pay-per-view.

Through the years Joe has also worked play-by-play or host duties on The Contender, HBO pay-per-view, international pay-per-view, Showtime pay-per-view and many ESPN properties.

Early career

Tessitore's broadcasting career began 1991 at KXAS-TV, an NBC affiliate in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. In 1994, he briefly moved to WRGB (CBS) in Albany, New York before joining WFSB-TV (CBS) in Hartford, Connecticut in 1995. Tessitore took over the primary sports anchor role in 1997.

ESPN

In February 2002 began calling boxing on ESPN as part of "Tuesday Night Fights" and "Friday Night Fights." Soon to follow he was appearing on ESPN college football and college basketball broadcasts.

Education

Tessitore graduated from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College with a degree in Marketing. For his college preparatory studies, Tessitore graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in Albany, NY.

Personal life

Tessitore is a member of the National Italian-American Foundation. He is on the board of Directors for the Connecticut Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Tessitore founded the annual Sportscasters' SuperBall for CF Research.