Martin Tyler Reflects on Sky Sports Departure After Three Decades
Martin Tyler has opened up about his exit from Sky Sports, where he served as the iconic voice of Premier League football for 33 years. The veteran broadcaster, now 80, was replaced by Peter Drury ahead of the 2023-24 season, a decision he says he completely understands.
No Bitterness Towards Former Employers
In a candid interview with The Sun, Tyler expressed no resentment towards Sky Sports for choosing not to renew his contract. "I completely understand things move on," he stated. "I feel blessed to have worked with some wonderful people, enjoyed great moments with outstanding co-commentators like Andy Gray, Alan Smith, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher."
Tyler emphasized that his departure was not a retirement, clarifying a common misconception. "My contract at Sky ran out, and they chose not to renew it – that's entirely their right," he explained. "I'd had 30-odd years there, absolutely wonderful, wouldn't say a bad word about them at all."
Continuing Passion for Commentary
Despite leaving Sky Sports, Tyler remains active in football commentary. He currently works with Premier League Productions and TNT Sports, covering matches across various competitions. Additionally, he co-hosts the popular podcast 'The Joy of Football' with Neil Barnett, which has surpassed 100 episodes since its launch two years ago.
Tyler's dedication to the profession remains unwavering. "I'm still loving doing commentary, and if I can continue to impart my love for the game through commentary, then I'll do it until I fall off the gantry," he declared passionately.
Voice Problem Coincided with Departure
Tyler revealed a significant personal challenge that occurred towards the end of his Sky Sports tenure. Speaking on the In The Mixer podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, he detailed a mysterious voice problem that affected him for the first time in his life.
"It was complicated because I had a voice problem for the first time in my life around that time," Tyler shared. "I knew I was already going, and then suddenly this. Nobody really knows medically what it was, but it was weird because I could shout, but I couldn't conduct a conversation."
The issue was so severe that Tyler avoided social interactions and phone calls unless absolutely necessary. "I was not going to the coffee shop, not answering the phone unless it was somebody who knew that," he recalled. "So at the time it sort of came to an end at Sky, I was needing some medical expertise."
He underwent two operations on his vocal cords and faced an eight-week recovery period. "It was a bit worrying at the time," Tyler admitted. "It took about eight weeks to be able to get going again, not a very nice eight weeks."
Evolution of Football Commentary
Tyler also reflected on how football commentary has transformed over the years. He noted the increasing complexity of modern broadcasts, which often feature multiple commentators and touchline reporters.
"When you get two voices now, three voices sometimes and somebody else down on the touch line, there's a lot of radio-ness about the television commentary, whereas before it was maybe just a little more laid back," he observed.
He highlighted how social media has dramatically changed the landscape, making iconic moments like Sergio Agüero's title-winning goal in 2012 even more significant. "People ask me to do Aguero. I couldn't possibly do that again to the justice of it," Tyler said. "So it's all changed a lot, opinion, social media obviously has changed so much."
Throughout his reflections, Tyler maintained a gracious and professional attitude, focusing on gratitude for his long career at Sky Sports while embracing new opportunities in the evolving world of football broadcasting.
