According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith has agreed to a five-year deal worth at least $100 million. Smith, who also serves as the executive producer of his show First Take, will continue to star on the program; however the new agreement reportedly reduces the number of his overall appearances on ESPN.
According to Marchand, Smith will no longer be a regular on ESPN’s NBA pre-game programming. However, he may still make occasional appearances on the network’s basketball coverage as well as other ESPN shows. These could include Monday Night Football and additional basketball-related programming.
The 57-year-old Smith was reportedly offered a five-year, $90 million contract to remain with ESPN back in the summer of 2024.
Over the past year, Smith has expanded his personal brand by developing his own company, recently renamed Straight Shooter Media. The company has been involved in original projects, including a documentary series about sports debate television that premiered last year on ESPN+. It also houses The Stephen A. Smith Show, which has a distribution deal with iHeartMedia and is available on YouTube.
With his new contract, Smith now has greater flexibility to make more appearances on other platforms, where he can discuss politics and non-sports-related topics. Additionally, this agreement allows him to explore more opportunities outside of ESPN, increasing his overall earning potential.
Recently, Smith was a featured guest on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and has made regular appearances on various other programs.
Neither ESPN nor Stephen A. Smith has publicly commented on Marchand’s report. However, Marchand notes that the full contract details are not expected to be disclosed.
Smith’s current deal was set to expire in July, and over the past year, he has openly discussed his contract situation. He has also emphasized his value to the network, expressing that he believes he should be among ESPN’s highest-paid talents.
Prior to joining ESPN, Smith also hosted a morning show on Fox Sports Radio. Smith held several positions, most recently as a general sports columnist for 16 years with the Philadelphia Inquirer (1994-2010). Prior to joining the Inquirer, Smith was a reporter with the Winston-Salem Journal, the Greensboro News and Record and the New York Daily News.
After attending the Fashion Institute of Technology for one year, Smith received a basketball scholarship to attend Winston-Salem State University, an HBCU in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he graduated in 1991.
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