Milwaukee Bucks name Lisa Byington new TV play-by-play announcer

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks have announced a new full-time television play-by-play announcer, Lisa Byington. In joining the Bucks she'll become the first female full-time TV announcer for a major men's professional sports team.

“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,” said Bucks and Fiserv Forum President Peter Feigin. “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.”

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Byington is no stranger to breaking through the glass ceiling.

Back in March she became the first female pay-by-play voice to work the NCAA men's basketball tournament, and in 2017 she became the first female play-by-play voice for a college football game on the Big Ten Network.

Shortly after that she was part of an MLS game broadcast and that's believed to be the first all-female broadcast of any of the five major men's professional leagues.

She was also a play-by-play announcer for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Women's World Cup in 2019, and NBA and WNBA games.

“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,” said Byington. “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.”