Stephen A. Smith has agreed to a five-year contract extension with ESPN that will extend his tenure at the company past two decades. Under the new agreement with the network, Smith will continue working on First Take, where he is currently the featured commentator and executive producer of the show, along with appearing across other ESPN programming. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported that the deal is worth a total of at least $100 million and also results in Smith stepping away from the NBA Countdown studio program. Furthermore, he reportedly could appear on the Monday Night Football pregame show or other marquee events.
“Stephen A. works incredibly hard to elevate the sports conversation day-in and day-out and we are grateful he will remain at ESPN,” Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, said in a statement. “He is a difference maker, and fans are captivated by his deep sports knowledge, strong opinions and unmistakable flair.”
To open the second hour of the Friday morning edition of First Take on ESPN, Smith spoke about his new deal with the company. Within his remarks, he demonstrated his gratitude towards being able to remain with ESPN and The Walt Disney Company under this five-year deal. Smith is going to continue working on First Take, extending his time on the program to over 15 years amid this contract that keeps him on the network airwaves.
“I got a lot of things that I want to achieve, a lot of things that I want to accomplish in my life that extend beyond this show and beyond the world of sports, but it all starts here,” Smith said. “I’m always happy to be a part of the Worldwide Leader, I’m always proud to be associated with this network, and I’m happy that I’m going to be here for a lengthy period of time for years to come.”
Smith articulated that the deal took too long, a sentiment shared by First Take host Molly Qerim, who explained that she saw his mood swings. In the end though, he was glad the contract was completed and expressed his thanks to all of the contributors on show and various executives within The Walt Disney Company. Smith also took time to thank Qerim, who is approaching 10 years as the host of First Take, before moving on to the next debate.
“You’re my partner in crime,” Smith said to Qerim. “We ride together, and I really, really appreciate all that you’ve meant to the show and all that you’ve meant to me, and I’m really, really happy to be staying on board.”
Smith returned to ESPN in 2012 after a previous four-year stint with the company and has appeared on First Take as a featured commentator since that time. After sitting opposite Skip Bayless for four years, he worked with Max Kellerman and helped the show continue to proliferate in the ratings. When Kellerman departed First Take in September 2021, the show changed formats to welcome a variety of contributors to debate Smith on topics within the sports world. Over the last few years, the program has introduced voices who debate Smith on a weekly basis, including Shannon Sharpe, Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo and Cam Newton.
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