As ESPN and Stephen A. Smith negotiate their contract, his behavior during those talks has apparently earned him some bonus points.
Smith’s contract is about to expire and the 56-year-old appears to be adamant that he will remain with ESPN going forward.
Sources said FrontOfficeSports that Smith “deserves a great deal of respect from ESPN management for the way he handles his contract negotiations — and also for his continued willingness to do whatever it takes to keep the four letters at the top.”
FOS also pointed out that his team player approach to these negotiations differs from the antics and shenanigans occasionally engaged in by well-known media personality Pat McAfee.
As an insider told the publication: “ I have to give Stephen A. credit. He’s used the fact that McAfee is such a bad team player to his advantage. He only brings in ESPN people; McAfee brings in Shams [Charania].
Stephen A. Smith could be on track to earn between $20 million and $25 million a year
Reports indicate that Smith has a ‘team player’ attitude, unlike Pat McAfee
‘That’s the kind of thing Stephen A. Smith would never do. He lets Pat McAfee frustrate ESPN executives so much that they think, ‘F*** it. Stephen A. is a good team player.”
Smith could be on track to become the first man at the company to earn $100 million, especially considering the number of roles he holds as a studio analyst at ESPN.
Considering the company had a particularly strong first half of 2024 and the high salaries of its contemporaries ($85 million over five years for McAfee, for example), that figure may not be as unachievable as it seems.
According to FOS sources, Smith’s new fee “could ultimately be between $20 million and $25 million a year over five years.”
Smith and McAfee sometimes seem like polar opposites, and a possible feud even arose earlier this year.
Sources at FOS reported that “ESPN executives love the 37-year-old McAfee’s appeal to younger viewers; his performance on College GameDay; and his ability to book A-list guests, including Aaron Rodgers, Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, Peyton Manning and Caitlin Clark.”
But McAfee’s tendency to fly off the handle is a thorn in his side. He’s been forced to apologize for his role in the Aaron Rodgers vs. Jimmy Kimmel feud and most recently for calling Caitlin Clark a “white b***h.”
He also publicly went after ESPN CEO Norby Williamson — calling the company veteran a “rat” who tried to “sabotage” his show in January of this year. Williamson eventually left the company.
