Just a few months ago, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum was reported to have outside suitors, most notably the OTT streaming service DAZN.
During a recent interview with Front Office Sports, Finebaum was asked specifically about the possibility of leaving ESPN for DAZN and the college football analyst said, “I love working at ESPN and have no interest in doing anything else.”
Finebaum was again asked if he wants to remain with ESPN during the interview, and he offered a more detailed response.
“Let me think about this question for a second because I’ve asked this question to many, many people I always hate when they give me some political answer. But I will give you something that isn’t political. It’s the honest truth,” Finebaum told Front Office Sports. “I’ve never enjoyed working for this company more. I’ve never been more honored and felt more of a responsibility than over the last (couple of months). What may have appeared in the media in November or December or January and February is fine. I can’t undo whatever reporting went into those things or whatever people were thinking about, But right now, I don’t want to go anywhere.”
It was current DAZN Group chairman John Skipper who brought Finebaum to ESPN. Finebaum’s agent Nick Kahn of CAA previously negotiated huge deals in the $6 million per year range for Skip Bayless and Colin Cowherd to leave ESPN for FS1. FS1’s president at the time, Jamie Horowitz, is now DAZN’s current EVP of content. There were absolutely factors which led to connecting Finebaum and DAZN just a few months ago, but a global pandemic has significantly altered the sports media landscape.
DAZN, like many sports media companies, has been hit hard by the pandemic. Last month, DAZN was reportedly attempting to secure financial investments or possibly even an outright sale. Whether or not they still have funds to invest in high-profile talent remains to be seen.
Finebaum still has time left on his contract with ESPN which runs through 2021. A lot can change in the next 18 months, but for now, staying with ESPN seems to be the priority.
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
