Let the negotiations begin. John Ourand of Puck is reporting ESPN has made an initial offer to Stephen A. Smith whose contract ends in a year. Ourand reports the offer was for a 5-year deal worth a total of $90 million, or $18 million per year.
According to reports, Smith’s current deal with ESPN, which was signed in 2019, pays him $8 million per year. Smith hosts the daily morning show First Take, takes part in ESPN and ABC’s NBA coverage and also makes other appearances on the network. Away from ESPN, Smith hosts his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show and also owns his own production company, Mr. SAS Productions
The 5-year, $90 million offer matches what Troy Aikman signed on for to do Monday Night Football and would put Smith at the top of the list as far as salaries at ESPN, however he and his representatives with WME might be looking for more, a lot more.
Ourand writes, “Smith has reportedly been seeking some $25 million per year. While $18 million might seem like a ton of dough, I’m told Stephen A. wants McAfee bucks. Indeed, WME’s response to ESPN was to point to Pat McAfee’s deal, which nets close to $30 million per year between his studio show and College GameDay appearances. WME also had the chutzpah to use ESPN’s $700 million deal with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions as a comp.”
Smith was a guest of Jim Rome on The Jim Rome Show recently and addressed some health concerns he had after being diagnosed with COVID-19 a few years ago. He ultimately said, “I’m getting myself in shape, and I’m not satisfied, and because I feel better than I’ve felt in 30 years, I feel like once upon a time when I thought that I had about a couple of years left, man, I think I can do this for another 25-30 years the way that I’m feeling.”
