Rumblings in the sports media industry that ESPN insiders Adam Schefter and Adrian Wojnarowski might leave the network and take their brands to sports betting outlets like Caesars had been gaining volume as each reporter neared the end of their respective contracts.
But neither Schefter or Wojnarowski will be going anywhere else in the near-future. Both reporters have agreed to multi-year extensions with ESPN, the network announced Thursday.
Schefter, who’s been with ESPN since 2009, will continue reporting and breaking news on social media, ESPN.com, and the ESPN app, while appearing across ESPN programming, including NFL Live, SportsCenter, Get Up, and First Take, along with pregame shows Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown.
Additionally, he hosts The Adam Schefter Podcast and will contribute to NFL Draft and Super Bowl coverage.
As part of his new agreement, Schefter will also have new opportunities, such as producing content for ESPN+.
Earlier this month at the BSM Summit, Schefter was honored with the Champion’s Award, which goes to someone in sports media who has made a significant difference for the industry and those involved in it. Schefter’s efforts for helping the family of Jeff Dickerson, who passed away in December, were recognized.
In addition to his work for ESPN — which was preceded by reporting for NFL Network, the Denver Post, and Rocky Mountain News — Schefter has written several books, most recently The Man I Never Met, about his wife’s first husband, who died in the September 11 attacks.
Wojnarowski, who’s been with ESPN since 2017, will continue reporting and breaking news on social media, ESPN.com, and the ESPN app, while appearing across network studio programming, including NBA Countdown, SportsCenter, and NBA Today. He also contributes to NBA Draft coverage, while hosting The Woj Pod.
Creating content for ESPN+ is also part of Wojnarowski’s new agreement with the network.
Prior to joining ESPN, Wojnarowski was an NBA insider for Yahoo Sports and edited the outlet’s basketball site, The Vertical. During his career, he also authored The Miracle of St. Anthony: A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball’s Most Improbable Dynasty.
Schefter had been attracting interest from Caesar’s Sportsbook, according to Front Office Sports, aware that the insider’s contract with ESPN was nearing its end.
Sports betting companies have also been trying to present themselves as media companies, not just gambling enterprises, in recent months by hiring former ESPN personalities, like Trey Wingo, Kenny Mayne, and Mike Golic. Adding an established reporter such as Schefter or Wojnarowski would boost the credibility of such efforts.
As Schefter has also invited controversy with recent reporting on domestic violence and sexual misconduct stories, the possibility of taking his brand to a non-news outlet may have had some appeal. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said Schefter’s interest was an open secret in the industry.
Though ESPN presumably has other talent already in-house that could have taken over Schefter’s insider duties — including Jeff Darlington, Dianna Russini, and Dan Graziano — the network clearly values Schefter’s work and has given him a number of opportunities outside his NFL reporting, such as NBA reporting.
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
