Early Life and Education
Joe Tessitore was born January 1, 1971, in Schenectady, New York. Raised in upstate New York, he attended Christian Brothers Academy in Albany for his college preparatory studies. His formal education continued at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, where he graduated in 1993. This educational background provided a solid foundation for his future career in sports broadcasting, combining business acumen with his passion for athletics. His early exposure to sports, including attending wrestling events in the 1970s featuring WWE Hall of Famers like Bob Backlund, sparked a lifelong interest that would eventually become professional.
Broadcasting Career Beginnings
Tessitore’s journey in broadcasting began at KXAS-TV, an NBC affiliate in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In 1994, he briefly moved to WRGB (CBS) in Albany, New York, before joining WFSB (CBS) in Hartford, Connecticut in 1995. By 1997, he had risen to become the primary sports anchor at WFSB, demonstrating his talent and dedication to the field. These early roles provided crucial experience and helped him develop the distinctive broadcasting style that would later become his trademark.
ESPN and ABC Career
The defining chapter of Tessitore’s career began in 2002 when he joined ESPN as a boxing commentator. His role quickly expanded to include college football, college basketball, and horse racing. For many years, he anchored ABC/ESPN’s horse racing presentations, including prestigious events like The Belmont Stakes and The Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Tessitore’s versatility allowed him to take on diverse assignments throughout his ESPN career. He served as the host of ESPN’s live New Year’s Eve specials for five years and produced documentaries for ESPN’s acclaimed “30 for 30” series, including “Roll Tide, War Eagle” as executive producer. His college football broadcasting work earned him significant recognition, including being chosen as part of Sports Illustrated’s 2016 Broadcast Team of the Year. This success led to him being selected as the play-by-play broadcaster for Monday Night Football in 2018 and 2019, working alongside analysts Jason Witten and Booger McFarland. In 2020, Tessitore returned to college football broadcasting, working with analyst Jesse Palmer. He has also continued his long-standing role as the blow-by-blow commentator for Top Rank Boxing on ESPN, calling major fights including the 2020 Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder II World Heavyweight Championship. In addition to sports broadcasting, Tessitore has hosted entertainment programs, including ABC’s “Holey Moley,” an extreme mini-golf competition series where he works alongside comedian Rob Riggle and NBA star Stephen Curry. This role has allowed him to showcase his versatility beyond traditional sports broadcasting.
WWE Career
In July 2024, Tessitore expanded his broadcasting repertoire by joining WWE as a play-by-play commentator while maintaining his roles at ABC and ESPN. This move reflects both his lifelong wrestling fandom and WWE’s strategy of bringing mainstream sports broadcasting talent to its productions. Tessitore has worked alongside commentators Wade Barrett and Corey Graves, bringing his signature big-event sensibility to professional wrestling broadcasts.
Personal Life
Joe Tessitore is married to Rebecca Tessitore, and they have two children: John and Nicolina. The family resides in Connecticut, conveniently located near ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol. His son John followed in his father’s footsteps to Boston College, where he became a kicker for the football team, continuing the family’s connection to sports.
Real Estate
In 1999, Joe and Rebecca paid $125,000 for a five-acre plot of land in Wallingford, Connecticut. That same year, they completed construction on a 4,700-square-foot home. This remains their primary residence most of the year, and today it is worth around $1.5 million. In 2021, they paid $985,000 for a townhome in Naples, Florida. Today, this property is worth around $2 million.
