As speculation regarding the future of Stephen A. Smith working at ESPN continues amid reported contract negotiations, the sports commentator continues to appear on a variety of its platforms and fulfill his current agreement. Smith has divulged that his deal expires in July and that the money is there in the negotiations but that the delay in finalizing the deal comes in balancing his contractual obligations with the freedom and ability to execute independent projects and ventures. Smith has continued to serve as an executive producer and featured commentator on First Take and also delivers analysis on editions of NBA Countdown while continuing to host a podcast and manage his Straight Shooter Media company.
Don La Greca expressed that he considers himself to be a motivated broadcaster and believes that people would say that he likes to work and has many different things going on. During the Monday edition of Don, Hahn & Rosenberg on ESPN New York, he questioned whether or not there was something wrong with him in that he frequently sees Smith on television and wondering how the sports media personality does not think that he is good.
Smith’s impending deal has been reported as being worth $120 million over six years, although he denied the monetary figure in late December, and La Greca was curious when he would get to spend that money. Alan Hahn, co-host of the program and Smith’s former radio partner on ESPN, outlined the responsibilities that come with receiving such a salary.
“You’re not new to ESPN, right?,” Hahn said to La Greca. “They make you work – you got to work. This whole notion that the more you make, the less you work, that’s not true. If you watch everybody in our company that make the most, they work the most. That’s opposite in a lot of other facets of life – not at ESPN. That man works, and he works for his money.”
For purposes of the conversation, co-host Peter Rosenberg conjectured Smith’s salary to be $20 million and surmised that 60% of that comes from the value he brings during the day on First Take. The show has consistently achieved ratings prowess throughout is time on the air and has a compelling rotation of contributors who debate Smith on various sports topics, some of whom include Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo, Ryan Clark and Dan Orlovsky.
“Everybody can be great on that show, but Stephen A.’s the bread and butter of First Take, the star of that show,” Rosenberg said. “I don’t know – if I was able to make $12-13 million from First Take, would I also want to spend my Friday night doing the ESPN game, my Sunday all day doing the national game?”
Hahn admitted that Sunday was a busy day in the NBA that started with a marquee Eastern Conference matchup between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics on ABC. There was a doubleheader of games at night as well airing on ESPN, and all of these telecasts featured studio contributions from Malika Andrews, Kendrick Perkins and Brian Windhorst. Smith appeared on the show from Los Angeles earlier in the day and was back in New York City on Monday morning for the live episode of First Take. After the show concluded, Smith presented a new episode of his video podcast where he discussed matters in sports, pop culture and entertainment.
“I’m in different places,” Rosenberg said. “I’ve traveled, I’m in a different part of my life. There’s one thing consistent. Stephen A. is always on my TV. Every hotel I’m in, Don, I turn on the TV, Stephen’s with me. It’s actually very reassuring – I always have Stephen.”
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