Ever since Pat McAfee made the bold move to sign with ESPN for a massive deal rumored to be eight figures, the sports world has been abuzz with speculation on how his contract has impacted the industry as a whole. One unexpected beneficiary of McAfee’s payday could be none other than ESPN’s own Stephen A. Smith.
Smith, known for his fiery opinions and larger-than-life personality, is one of the most recognizable sports media personalities in the world. With his multi-million dollar contract set to expire soon, many are wondering if he could leverage McAfee’s deal to negotiate an even more lucrative contract of his own with ESPN.
Smith is earning plenty of respect from ESPN management for the way he’s handling his contract negotiations—as well as his continued willingness to do whatever it takes to keep the four letters on top, sources tell Front Office Sports.
Smith’s team-player approach contrasts with the occasional bad-boy antics of McAfee, who likes to needle his bosses and test the bounds of their authority.
In stark contrast is Smith, who plays by the rules. It behooves him to do so, as he could potentially be one of the two most sought-after free agents in sports media, along with TNT’s Charles Barkley. It’s doubtful ESPN would let Smith slip away.
Put it all together, and the stars are aligning for Smith to possibly become ESPN’s first $100 million talent. Sources have relayed that his new compensation could eventually come in between $20 million and $25 million per year over five years, compared to five years, $90 million for Aikman, five years, $85 million for McAfee and five years, $75 million for Buck.
Overall, the sports media landscape is changing rapidly, and with personalities like Pat McAfee paving the way for lucrative deals, it’s only a matter of time before Stephen A. Smith cashes in on his payday. And with his talent, charisma, and track record of success, there’s no doubt that he’s worth every penny.
One should always remember no matter if you love or hate Stephen A. the only reason he is in this position is because of you.
If he didn’t have an audience he wouldn’t have had some much leverage against ESPN.
