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Tim Ryan

b. 1939

American sportscaster

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About Tim Ryan

Born 1939. Tim Ryan is an American sports commentator.

Tim Ryan (born May 16, 1939) is a Canadian retired sportscaster who worked for NBC, CBS, Fox, and ESPN in the United States. He was the play-by-play announcer for the NHL on NBC from 1972 to 1975, called over three hundred championship boxing matches, and was a host and play-by-play announcer for Tennis on CBS.

Early life Ryan was born in Winnipeg and raised in Toronto and attended De La Salle College. His father, Joe, was general manager of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Montreal Alouettes, and Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League and is a member of both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. In 1956, while attending high school, Ryan got his start in radio at CFRB in Toronto. He also served as the team's radio and television play-by-play announcer. In 1972, he moved to NBC, joining the network’s sports division and local New York station WNBC. He was the lead announcer for the NHL on NBC from 1972 to 1975, when NBC ended hockey coverage due to poor ratings. Ryan remained with the network as an announcer for NFL games, boxing matches, and other events.

CBS Ryan joined CBS in 1977 as a play-by-play announcer for the NBA on CBS, NFL on CBS, and boxing on the CBS Sports Spectacular. In 1982, he began calling college basketball games on CBS. From 1987 to 1994, he was the studio host for CBS' coverage of the US Open tennis tournament. Ryan called alpine skiing at the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Olympic Winter Games. From 1996 to 1997, Ryan served as a play-by-play announcer for CBS' coverage of college football.

Later career In 1998, Ryan moved to Fox, where he was the play-by-play announcer for NFL games and World Bowl '98. In 2003 and 2004, Ryan was a play-by-play announcer for ESPN College Football. He hosted a nightly recap show on SIRIUS radio during the 2006 Wimbledon Championships.

Ryan worked the 2000 Summer Olympics, 2002 Winter Olympics, 2004 Summer Olympics, 2006 Winter Olympics, 2008 Summer Olympics, 2010 Winter Olympics, and 2012 Summer Olympic for NBC, calling equestrian, rowing, flat water canoeing, and alpine skiing.

Personal life Ryan's first wife, Lee Ryan, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and died in 2002. He was a national board member of the Alzheimer's Association Public Policy Forum for eight years. He is a father of four children.

Ryan's memoir, On Someone Else's Nickel: A Life in Television, Sports, and Travel, was published in 2016.

A longtime resident of Ketchum, Idaho, Ryan moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 2019, where he resides with his second wife, Patricia.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Notre Dame

People in Tim Ryan's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Tim Ryan's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Tim Ryan?

American sportscaster

When was Tim Ryan born?

Tim Ryan was born on 16 May 1939.

What is Tim Ryan's occupation?

Tim Ryan is a sports commentator.

What nationality is Tim Ryan?

Tim Ryan is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Tim Ryan

· Wikidata: Q7804221

· DBpedia: Tim Ryan (sportscaster)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Tim Ryan. https://biography.guide/tim-ryan-sports-commentator/

MLA: "Tim Ryan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/tim-ryan-sports-commentator/.

Chicago: "Tim Ryan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/tim-ryan-sports-commentator/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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