Pat McAfee has a large following. He’s grown that following by having high-profile interviews with players like Aaron Rodgers and now Alabama head coach Nick Saban. And he says its going to stay that way.
During an interview with The New York Post, McAfee shared that there’s value in paying for access to newsmakers.
“I know there’s an old viewpoint that billion dollar corporations have tried to make a standard that players and coaches are lucky to get on the platform and talk.. Well, as the human who owns my company and sees the value directly associated with these guys sharing their stories and thoughts, I think that’s bullshit,” McAfee said. “‘If somebody’s making money off of this, I’m making money off of this. If nobody’s making any money, and it’s all for good will, I’m making no money as well’ is my mindset for doing stuff and I treat my company the same way. I give rather large bonuses as thank you’s and I genuinely believe it’s the only way to operate.”
The report from The Post claimed McAfee has paid Rodgers north of a millio dollars, and he shared his belief that Rodgers deserves more.
“To be transparent, Aaron deserves much more than what he’s gotten for the time and effort he has put into ‘Aaron Rodgers’ Tuesdays’,” Pat McAfee concluded.
After McAfee’s comments were published, he addressed them, taking issue with the way he was conveyed.
“Our company went from being valued — and I know this because I own the company — from anywhere between two to five million a few years back to like over $500 million. And I’m not saying that just to flex. I’m saying that because as a human that knows that all the people that have helped have all been paid very handsomely,” McAfee said, defending the payments to Rodgers. “That is what business is in my eyes. That is what you do in the world.”
McAfee then shared that appearances from Rodgers on the program “turned us into the biggest show on Earth”, so before the holiday season, he wrote the NFL star a check for $450,000.
“Aaron’s very uncomfortable with that, obviously” the former NFL punter revealed. “But then I started breaking down ‘Hey, let me tell you what you have done for our company, and you shut the f— up. That is basically how this is gonna go’.”
He added that after he wrote the check to Rodgers, McAfee became aware that the process usually entails guests appearing for free with the increased exposure radio and television hits provide instead of compensation.
McAfee continued by calling out New York Post sports media reporter Andrew Marchand for the story he wrote about the show and its payments to Rodgers.
“I’m completely ok being known as the guy that appreciates people’s time, effort, and things that happen for us. So, with that being said, Andrew Marchand of The New York Post is a rat, ok? That is what he is. He tried to paint this in a way that makes me look like a bad person.”
