As ESPN battles Pat McAfee and the latest issues caused by New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, sports television personality Stephen A. Smith continues to be a money and viewership-generating magnet for Disney. Before long, Smith may finally be rewarded with a new contract.
Smith, age 56, joined ESPN in 2003 as an NBA analyst. He progressed from appearances on NBA Countdown, SportsCenter and ESPN News to becoming a regular on First Take and Pardon The Interruption. Two decades later, Smith is the most well-known on-air sports personality but he’s been performing on a contract that makes him vastly underpaid compared to his peers. Fortunately for Smith, those days could be over this year.
As part of a series of 2024 sports media predictions, Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports predicts that Smith will land a new contract this year, with a deal value of at least $20 million annually.
“As the face and voice of ESPN, Smith for a long time was a good soldier, keeping silent while new hires like Troy Aikman ($18 million a year), Pat McAfee ($16 million), and Joe Buck ($15 million) surpass his annual compensation figure ($12 million). But his patience is coming to an end…As the face and voice of ESPN, Smith for a long time was a good soldier, keeping silent while new hires like Troy Aikman ($18 million a year), Pat McAfee ($16 million), and Joe Buck ($15 million) surpass his annual compensation figure ($12 million). But his patience is coming to an end.”
Michael McCarthy on a potential $20 million per year contract for Stephen A. Smith
As McCarthy points out, Smith’s existing contract with ESPN takes him into 2025. However, given how successful he’s been with the company and his value to Disney, it’s very possible the contract is addressed this year. There are also plenty of reasons for ESPN to pursue an extension, even at that price.
The network recently announced some of its recent television ratings. Thanks to Smith and Shannon Sharpe, First Take’s ratings have been at an all-time high in the last two months, with the show averaging over 600,000 viewers in December.
While Sharpe’s departure from Fox Sports is partially responsible for ESPN dominating its competitor, Smith’s presence as the regular personality on First Take with a rotating cast of analysts has exceeded the network’s expectations.
- Stephen A. Smith salary: $12 million
Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported in 2021 that Smith was signed to a multi-year contract with an $8 million base salary and a $4 million per year production contract. Smith has since wanted a contract that reflects what his peers are being paid and considering he is ESPN’s most valuable personality, it stands to reason he’ll be earning more than his peers before long.