The Milwaukee Bucks named Lisa Byington as the team’s new play-by-play announcer on Bally Sports Wisconsin, making her the first woman to be a full-time play-by-play announcer for a major men’s professional sports team. Byington previously became the first woman to call play-by-play for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament this past March and has spent time as an announcer with CBS and Turner Sports.
“We are so excited to welcome Lisa to the Bucks family and to bring such a talented play-by-play announcer to our broadcast team,” Bucks president Peter Feigin said. “Lisa’s extensive television broadcasting background, including her play-by-play work for high-level NCAA basketball on several national networks, makes her the perfect choice to take on this major role. 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.”
A former college basketball and soccer player at Northwestern University, Byington also made history as the first woman to call play-by-play for a college football game in 2017 on the Big Ten Network. She has extensive experience covering a wide range of sports and most recently was the play-by-play announcer for men’s and women’s soccer games throughout the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
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“I’m absolutely thrilled for this opportunity, and the ability to work with a first-class franchise and a championship organization like the Milwaukee Bucks,” Byington said. “My sincerest appreciation and thanks go out to so many, but, in particular, Bucks President Peter Feigin and Bally Sports Wisconsin Executive Producer Tony Tortorici for making this such a smooth process from start to finish.
“I know that I will be stepping into the role long-held by Jim Paschke, and I appreciate his passion for the team and the memorable moments his voice will always be a part of. I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge his work and commitment to the franchise, and it’s my honor to be the one who takes the baton from him. I’m particularly excited to work with such an amazing team of Marques Johnson, Zora Stephenson, Steve Novak and everyone involved with Bucks games at Bally Sports Wisconsin.
“Finally, 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 will be filling Paschke’s shoes, who retired at the end of the Bucks’ championship season. Paschke was the voice of the Bucks for 35 years, calling over 2,000 Bucks games.
