Portland Trail Blazers radio play-by-play announcer Travis Demers turned down a revised contract from new owner Tom Dundon that would have slashed his pay by more than 60 percent, stripped his benefits, eliminated travel coverage, and removed his analyst partner — essentially asking a man to call an entire NBA season alone, from home, for a third of what he’d been making.
The details surfaced in Boston Globe NBA columnist Gary Washburn’s Sunday Basketball Notes column and were corroborated across multiple outlets as the scope of Dundon’s broadcast overhaul came into focus. Demers, who spent seven seasons on Blazers radio, did not have his contract renewed at the end of June, according to The Athletic.
He wasn’t alone. Kevin Calabro, the longtime television play-by-play voice who spent nine seasons in Portland, is also departing. KGW reported Calabro’s exit stemmed from what was described as a “subprime” contract dispute. Yahoo Sports and Front Office Sports confirmed both Calabro and Demers would not return for the 2025-26 season after their contracts expired.
The broadcast cuts are part of a broader dismantling under Dundon, who purchased the franchise and has moved aggressively to slash costs. Forbes reported that other broadcasters faced deep pay cuts or non-renewed contracts. Courtside News noted the franchise laid off roughly 70 front-office staff members in May before turning to the broadcast operation. The Athletic’s Jason Quick reported that the cuts to the radio broadcast, studio show, and in-house media mirror the approach Dundon took after buying the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes — a playbook that prioritizes the bottom line over everything else on the depth chart.
