When is enough, enough? That’s a constant question that every programmer and executive from small town radio to big media conglomerates like ESPN must weigh when dealing with any level of talent on their roster. The answer is never the same because the circumstances are always different.
How much can you put up with when a talent that isn’t hitting the mark content-wise, but brings in a massive audience and revenue? It’s not as easy as you may think to answer that question because it’s a constant battle of weighing the benefits versus what it may be costing you.
I’ve been asking myself that very question a lot in recent months regarding ESPN’s relationship with The Pat McAfee Show. I wonder if the executives that are paying McAfee for his product are asking themselves that very question more and more as time goes on. When is enough, enough?
When ESPN signed McAfee in May of 2023 for a reported $17 million dollars a year, ESPN was taking a chance. McAfee was a proven commodity with a built-in audience and model for programming to a certain type of viewer. He brought in sponsorship dollars, attention with headline-grabbing interviews, and the most important thing any sports talk program can bring to a network like ESPN—which was buzz.
The chance? ESPN allowed creative control to stay with McAfee and his program.
Risk vs Reward
At the time, many considered it a win for McAfee to not give over the keys to the network. Far too many critics said that if ESPN did take over creative control, it would harm McAfee’s brand and everything he’s built over the years since leaving the NFL.
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said when the network signed McAfee and his program that, “It’s a destination for athlete interviews and breaking news, and the centerpiece of a growing community of sports fans.”
Since those words, McAfee has caused and been caught up in many instances of controversy internally at the network, has placed the network on notice for potential lawsuits, and has raised questions about whether the network can truly be happy with the programming their investment is putting out.
When is enough, enough?
When current free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers implied on McAfee’s show that Jimmy Kimmel, a fellow Disney employee, would be on Jeffrey Epstein’s client list. That wasn’t enough.
When McAfee called Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark a “white b***h from Indiana who is a superstar.” That wasn’t enough.
When McAfee admitted to not doing enough research on Olympic women’s boxing after making false gender claims about an Algerian boxer. That wasn’t enough.
When McAfee went public about his beef with Norby Williamson, an ESPN executive at the time, about what the former Colts punter called “sabotage” of his program. That wasn’t enough.
When McAfee absolutely destroyed ESPN for a Top 100 Athletes of the 21st Century list, calling it “the epitome of everything that everybody hates about ESPN” and “a s**tshow.” That wasn’t enough.
When McAfee and the program went to do a show in Ireland and got absolutely hammered on air. That wasn’t enough.
When ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski wasn’t the man breaking NBA news on The Pat McAfee Show, but instead it was Shams Charania from The Athletic. That wasn’t enough.
By the way, Charania is now the lead NBA insider for ESPN after Wojnarowski stepped down from his post with the network. Who lobbied for Shams to be the guy at ESPN? McAfee admitted as much.
Remember when profanity used to be avoided on ESPN and cable television in general? No more. Why? McAfee has creative control.
When an internet rumor about an Ole Miss student allegedly sleeping with her boyfriend’s father made its way to McAfee’s program—featuring Adam Schefter, ESPN NFL Insider, as a guest live from the NFL Draft. That wasn’t enough.
That Ole Miss student is still reportedly planning to sue McAfee and ESPN for their involvement in spreading the rumor.
When McAfee had LeBron James on his program for a full hour and allowing James an opportunity to call Stephen A. Smith a “mother f****r” on ESPN airwaves, just weeks following Smith signing a $100 million dollar contract with the network. That wasn’t enough either.
When McAfee and his show complained about “middle management” within the NFL regarding access to broadcast live from the NFL Combine and the NFL Draft, leading McAfee to later say he’s not going to play “their games.” That wasn’t enough.
This past weekend, McAfee’s program broadcast live from WWE WrestleMania with exclusive interviews with some of the top names in the WWE including Roman Reigns, John Cena, among others. However, during an interview with WWE Hall of Fame manager Paul Heyman, he name-dropped Shannon Sharpe in a dig at the ESPN personality—just hours after news broke of a lawsuit filed against Sharpe claiming sexual assault and battery.
Then Heyman was on live television talking to a fan in the audience, saying the fan would be “the one getting deported,” and then added, “I may suck but your mother taught me how.” That wasn’t enough.
Heyman then floated a conversation he and McAfee had following a roast event the night before in Las Vegas, when he claimed McAfee said Stephen A. Smith “sucks.” McAfee denied the story, and to be fair, it is a wrestling character telling a story.
Is There A Limit?
I respect the hustle and drive of Pat McAfee and his entire crew. They are the benefactors of hard work, dedication, and playing to their crowd in any way they can on every platform imaginable. You cannot knock the passion they have for doing what they do, challenging norms, and achieving success from it.
With ESPN though, I have questions.
I have questions about the goals of what they had hoped McAfee would be for the network.
Has he brought more eyeballs to the product? If you consider social media as viewership, McAfee is a home run for the network. If not, I’m not truly sure. The network doesn’t share much viewership data for his daypart like it does with other ESPN programming.
Has he brought more revenue to the network? If the answer is yes, there isn’t much being reported on it.
Is ESPN happy with several two-hour infomercials for the WWE on their network during key moments of the sports calendar? That question really stuck in my mind this weekend, as both Friday of last week and Monday of this week were all about WrestleMania instead of the NBA Playoffs, NHL Playoffs, NFL Draft, and more.
It’s obvious that the WWE is giving McAfee a job on their showcase weekly Monday Night Raw program to showcase their product to the ESPN audience—without having to work an agreement with the network themselves. Imagine paying for the inventory the WWE gets on ESPN through McAfee’s program. Maybe McAfee will be doing more UFC events soon once those rights agreements are up? You can bet McAfee is on Dana White’s speed dial.
The biggest question I have regarding everything I’ve brought up is this: if it were anyone else employed by ESPN involved in anything I’ve listed, would they still be employed by ESPN?
My guess is no, my mind says no, and history reinforces that thought.
Your Brand Name Is Only As Good As Your Reputation
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro has already had to come out and defend the partnership since signing the agreement with McAfee. He stated that he understands McAfee’s content may not be for everyone, but their research shows it appeals to a younger audience. The goal for ESPN is to use McAfee and his brand to expand the audience and find more ways to become more relevant. Pitaro celebrated McAfee’s authenticity and his ability to take feedback.
McAfee’s agreement isn’t the only risk Pitaro has taken as ESPN Chair, and it won’t be the last.
The real question is how far ESPN will be willing to go in the name of audience expansion and revenue—at the risk of alienating the standards of the worldwide leader.
If ESPN continues to consider the juice worth the squeeze with McAfee, there may never be “enough.”
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
