Dan Shulman

Early Life and Education

Daniel Shulman was born on February 9, 1967, in Toronto, Ontario. He completed his secondary education at York Mills Collegiate Institute, a public high school in the North York region of Toronto. For post-secondary studies, Shulman attended the University of Western Ontario in London. He enrolled in a program for actuarial science, a field focused on mathematics, statistics, and financial theory. Despite this academic path, his extracurricular activities steered him toward broadcasting. During his university years, he began volunteering and working at campus and local media outlets, which provided his first practical experience in sports commentary.

Broadcasting Career Beginnings and TSN

Shulman's first on-air experiences came at the University of Western Ontario's campus radio station, CHRW. There, he became a main voice for Western Mustangs football and basketball games, calling play-by-play for the university's sports teams. After graduation, he moved to Barrie, Ontario, where he volunteered for the local community television station while working at radio station CKBB. In the early 1990s, he returned to Toronto and was hired by The Fan 1430, a sports radio station later rebranded as Sportsnet 590 The Fan. At The Fan, he hosted the drive-time program Prime Time Sports, interviewing athletes and discussing major sports stories of the day. His early television work included a role with CTV during the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, where he covered hockey, and later at the 1994 World Championships of Basketball.

In 1995, Shulman's career advanced significantly when he joined TSN as the play-by-play announcer for Toronto Blue Jays baseball games. He was paired with former Blue Jays catcher Buck Martinez in the broadcast booth, forming a partnership that would last for years. Shulman remained with TSN for seven seasons, from 1995 to 2001. During this period, his duties expanded beyond baseball to include secondary play-by-play roles for TSN's NHL hockey and NBA basketball coverage. He also called games for the Canadian Hockey League and served as a backup host on the network's program TSN Inside Sports alongside Dave Hodge. Even after his primary role shifted to ESPN, Shulman continued to work with Buck Martinez for TSN's World Series coverage through the 2007 season, filing daily reports from the event. In 2011, he returned to TSN in a different capacity, working as an analyst and contributor for the network.

Major Roles and Milestones with ESPN

Dan Shulman began working part-time for the American sports network ESPN while still employed by TSN in the late 1990s. In 2001, he moved to ESPN on a full-time basis, covering a wide array of sporting events with a focus on Major League Baseball and college basketball. ESPN recognized his talent with a five-year contract extension in 2007, which also assigned him to call NBA games for the network. A specific milestone occurred on July 27, 2007, when Shulman was on the call for ESPN when Barry Bonds hit his 754th career home run, moving him within one of tying Hank Aaron's all-time record. From 2002 to 2007, Shulman served as the lead play-by-play announcer for ESPN Radio's MLB coverage. In that role, he teamed with analyst Dave Campbell to call the network's Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts, the All-Star Game, the Home Run Derby, and select postseason games.

For the 2008 season, Gary Thorne succeeded Shulman as the lead Sunday Night Baseball voice on ESPN Radio, but Shulman continued to work with Dave Campbell on that year's All-Star Game and postseason events. From 2008 to 2010, Shulman teamed with former pitcher Orel Hershiser to call Monday Night Baseball for ESPN television. Concurrently, from 2007 to 2012, he worked with Hall of Fame basketball analyst Hubie Brown to call NBA games for ESPN. On December 1, 2010, ESPN announced a major change, naming Shulman the new play-by-play announcer for its flagship Sunday Night Baseball television broadcast starting with the 2011 MLB season. He was joined in the booth by analysts Orel Hershiser and Bobby Valentine.

One of the most notable moments of Shulman's career occurred during the Sunday Night Baseball telecast on May 1, 2011, between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. During the broadcast, Shulman announced live to the ESPN audience that Osama bin Laden had been killed by United States forces. He later told USA Today that he learned of the news from analyst Bobby Valentine, who received a text message. Shulman quickly consulted with producers in the broadcast truck for corroboration before delivering the report on air. This broadcast moment has been compared to other historic news breaks during live sports. Later in 2011, Shulman teamed with Hershiser and Valentine again to call the entire 2011 World Series on ESPN Radio, which the St. Louis Cardinals won over the Texas Rangers in seven games. That same year, he also called a memorable college basketball game between Indiana and Kentucky on December 10, 2011, with analyst Dick Vitale. His call of Christian Watford's game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, "Jones... Watford for the win… YES! YES!", became a famous clip in college basketball lore.

• 2001: Moved to ESPN full-time.
• July 27, 2007: Called Barry Bonds's 754th home run.
• 2002 to 2007: Lead play-by-play voice for ESPN Radio MLB coverage.
• 2008 to 2010: Called ESPN's Monday Night Baseball with Orel Hershiser.
• December 1, 2010: Named play-by-play announcer for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
• May 1, 2011: Announced the death of Osama bin Laden during a live broadcast.
• 2011: Called the World Series on ESPN Radio and the Indiana-Kentucky basketball game.
• 2011: Named National Sportscaster of the Year.

ESPN Sunday Night Baseball and Subsequent Transition

Dan Shulman's tenure as the voice of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball lasted from the 2011 season through the 2017 season. The composition of his broadcast booth changed several times during those seven years. For the 2012 season, former Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona replaced Bobby Valentine, who had left to manage the Red Sox. Francona stayed for only one year before departing to become manager of the Cleveland Indians. On December 3, 2012, ESPN announced that John Kruk, a longtime analyst on Baseball Tonight, would join Shulman and Orel Hershiser in the booth for the 2013 season. At the start of the 2014 season, Hershiser left ESPN to become an analyst for the Los Angeles Dodgers on SportsNet LA. He was replaced by former pitcher Curt Schilling, but Schilling's treatment for cancer limited his availability for most of the 2014 season, leaving Shulman and Kruk to work as a two-person booth until Schilling could join them in September.

On July 3, 2017, Shulman announced in an interview with Sports Illustrated that he would step down from Sunday Night Baseball at the conclusion of the 2017 season. He cited a desire to adjust his role at ESPN to reduce his extensive travel schedule and spend more time with his family in Toronto. He continued to participate in ESPN Radio's coverage of the MLB postseason for several more years. In October 2022, it was announced that Shulman would step down as ESPN's lead radio broadcaster for the MLB postseason beginning with the 2023 season, with Jon Sciambi taking over that duty. This move allowed Shulman to focus exclusively on his role as ESPN's lead announcer for men's college basketball, a position he has held for many years and continues in today.

Return to Canada and Sportsnet Era

While maintaining his college basketball duties with ESPN, Dan Shulman rejoined the Toronto Blue Jays broadcast family in a major way in the mid-2010s. On November 19, 2015, he announced he would join Sportsnet's television team for approximately 30 Blue Jays games during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. His role expanded significantly in March 2018, when Sportsnet announced he would call up to 50 television games and also contribute to Sportsnet Radio broadcasts for select Blue Jays games. By the 2020 season, Shulman had become the primary play-by-play voice for the majority of Blue Jays games on Sportsnet, a role that solidified his connection to the team's fanbase. In April 2018, he launched the baseball podcast Swing and a Belt with Dan Shulman in partnership with Sportsnet. The weekly podcast covered various baseball topics and featured interviews with guests such as MLB stars Mike Trout and former manager Aaron Boone.

Beyond baseball, Shulman also provides play-by-play commentary for Canada Basketball events broadcast on Sportsnet. This role extended to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics, where he called basketball games for CBC while on a temporary leave from his Blue Jays schedule. His broadcasting excellence in Canada has been recognized with multiple Canadian Screen Awards for Best Sports Play-by-Play Announcer. He won the award in 2022 and again in 2025. According to 2026 reports from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, Shulman won the award a third time in 2026. Industry profiles describe him as renowned for his precision and storytelling instinct, and he is frequently engaged as a speaker for sports media conferences, such as the 2026 WSBC Sports Industry Conference.

Honours, Awards, and Industry Status

Dan Shulman's career has been marked by sustained excellence and formal recognition from professional organizations in both the United States and Canada. His most prominent American honour came in 2011 when the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association named him the National Sportscaster of the Year. This made him the first Canadian-born announcer to receive the award. In Canada, his work for Sportsnet has earned him the Canadian Screen Award for Best Sports Play-by-Play Announcer three separate times, in 2022, 2025, and 2026. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from a Canadian university. In 2026, he reached another professional height when he was named a finalist for the Ford C. Frick Award, a prestigious honour presented by the National Baseball Hall of Fame for major contributions to baseball broadcasting.

Shulman's reputation within the sports media industry is that of a respected veteran and a sought-after authority. He is regularly booked as a keynote speaker and panelist for industry events, where he discusses the craft of broadcasting. For example, he was scheduled to participate virtually in Panel #3 of the WSBC Sports Industry Conference in 2026. Talent bureaus that represent him for speaking engagements highlight his professionalism, storytelling skill, and ability to connect with audiences, comparing his event hosting to his broadcast style. His consistent presence on major networks for major events, from the World Series to the NCAA tournament and the Olympics, has cemented his status as a leading figure in North American sportscasting.

Personal Life and Family

Dan Shulman is Jewish and has participated in the Maccabiah Games, an international Jewish athletic event. He was previously married to a woman named Sarah, with whom he has three sons. One of those sons, Ben Shulman, has followed his father into sportscasting. Ben serves as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays and for the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies. He also works as an announcer for the television game show The Price Is Right Tonight. Dan Shulman married his current wife, Lauren, in 2019. The couple had a son that same year, bringing Shulman's total number of children to four sons. A lifelong sports fan, Shulman supports his hometown NHL team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. His decision to reduce his ESPN travel commitments in 2017 was directly influenced by his desire to be closer to his family home in Toronto.

Questions about Dan Shulman

Did Dan Shulman win any awards for his broadcasting?

Yes, Dan Shulman has received several major awards. In 2011, he was named the National Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, becoming the first Canadian-born announcer to win. He has also won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Sports Play-by-Play Announcer three times, in 2022, 2025, and 2026. In 2026, he was also named a finalist for the Ford C. Frick Award, a high honour from the Baseball Hall of Fame recognizing excellence in baseball broadcasting.

Why did Dan Shulman leave ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball?

Dan Shulman stepped down from his role as the play-by-play announcer for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball after the 2017 season. He announced his decision in a July 2017 interview with Sports Illustrated, stating he wanted to adjust his responsibilities at ESPN to reduce his extensive travel schedule. This change allowed him to spend more time with his family in Toronto. He continued with ESPN in other capacities, focusing on his lead college basketball role and MLB postseason radio work until stepping back from the postseason radio role in 2022.

What was Dan Shulman's famous call during the 2011 baseball season?

On May 1, 2011, during an ESPN Sunday Night Baseball broadcast between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, Dan Shulman announced the death of Osama bin Laden live on air. He received the initial news from analyst Bobby Valentine, who saw a text message. Shulman quickly verified the information with producers in the broadcast truck before delivering the report to a national television audience. This moment is often cited alongside other historic instances where major news was broken during a live sports broadcast.

Is Dan Shulman's son also a broadcaster?

Yes, Dan Shulman's son Ben Shulman is also a sportscaster. Ben serves as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays on Sportsnet 590 The Fan and for the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. In addition to his sports work, Ben is an announcer for the television game show The Price Is Right Tonight. Dan Shulman has three other sons from his current and previous marriages.

What is Dan Shulman's educational background?

Dan Shulman graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in actuarial science before moving into sports broadcasting. He is also an alumnus of York Mills Collegiate, a high school in Toronto. His academic path in actuarial science is a notable prelude to his successful broadcasting career. This background highlights a significant shift from a mathematical field to the world of sports commentary.

How did Dan Shulman begin his broadcasting career?

Dan Shulman began his broadcasting career at the University of Western Ontario, calling football and basketball games for the Western Mustangs on CHRW radio. He later volunteered at a community television station while working at radio station CKBB in Barrie. In the early 1990s, he was hired by Toronto sports radio station The Fan 1430, where he would eventually host Prime Time Sports. His early work also included covering hockey for CTV at the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Sources and further reading

• Dan Shulman (Wikipedia)
• Dan Shulman, Blue Jays Broadcaster & Event Host (talentbureau.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-25.