50 Most Valuable Talents in Sports Media Today

This is Outkick's inaugural list of the top 50 most valuable sports media talents. The criteria were as follows: 1) How important they are to their employer's content, 2) How much it would help a competitor and hurt their employer if they left, and 3) For people who are not on games or bumper programming, how responsible they are for individually galvanizing an audience, with a bonus for proving an ability to do that independently of a flagship media brand. Due to conflicts of interest, we have chosen not to include Outkick founder Clay Travis.  

50. Omar Raja (ESPN)

Raja founded House of Highlights, sold it to Bleacher Report, and later joined ESPN at the beginning of this year. He has especially proved his value in a time with no sports, driving platforms like the SportsCenter Instagram page to be evergreen. According to Front Office Sports, in part due to Raja SportsCenter accounts saw digital engagement increase 75% per post in March of 2020 vs. the corresponding period in 2019.

49. Will Cain (ESPN*)

Will Cain, who is leaving ESPN, was a bright spot on ESPN Radio. Cain is often known for his unique perceptive and he excelled in every role he was in, whether it was delving into serious topics on First Take, light banter with Ryen Russillo, hosting Fantasy Football Now, or leading a solo radio show. ESPN discussed the idea of moving Cain up earlier in the radio lineup before he elected to leave the network, per sources. 

48. Shannon Sharpe (FS1)

Sharpe had doubters when he took on the role of Skip Bayless’s full-time foe after a disappointing stint with CBS. But, he’s reinvented his media career at FS1 and has created a fan base of his own (thanks to some hilarious memes). FOX Sports inked a multi-year extension with Sharpe last summer.

47. Ian Eagle (CBS, Turner Sports, and YES Network)

Ian Eagle is on the short list of play-by-play announcers who can call every sport at a high-level. Eagle will be one of the biggest media free agents when his contract expires at the end of the year. If he were available this past offseason, there’s widespread speculation around the industry that ESPN would’ve made a run at him to call Monday Night Football.

46. Chris "Mad Dog" Russo (SiriusXM and MLB Network)

Russo continues plugging along with a very enjoyable radio show on SiriusXM. Every day you listen, he brings a vigor that is infectious, which is not easy to accomplish during these days that are bereft of any sports. He arguably has the best chemistry with callers of any sports talk radio host -- Paul Finebaum is also in that discussion. Further, Russo is also very fun to watch on MLB Network’s High Heat.

45. Mike “Doc“ Emrick (NBC)

The legacy of “Doc” Emrick is still being written. Perhaps there has never been anyone better at capturing the heartbeat of a game than Emrick. His voice is ingrained in the mind of every hockey fan. It’s he who they picture narrating while reminiscing about that game-winning goal and that series-changing save. Emrick is as polished a broadcaster as you’ll find in all of sports.

44. Charissa Thompson (FOX)

Charissa Thompson would be the No. 1 NFL host at most networks. It’d be a surprise at this point if she doesn’t one day host FOX’s main NFL pregame show. She’s an energetic, dynamic host who makes the analysts around her better. Thompson brings star power to sports programming from her crossover work in the entertainment industry.

43. Pat McAfee (Westwood One and WWE)

McAfee may not wind up getting tabbed to be an analyst on Monday Night Football, but that he was even considered for it -- as a punter, and with his outspoken personality -- tells you what you need to know about how talented he is. His radio show gets great engagement on YouTube, and he also adds a spark whenever he is on WWE’s NXT programming.

42. Chris Haynes (Yahoo, FS1, & Turner)

Chris Haynes is on the list of talents who have succeeded after leaving ESPN, In fact, Haynes has elevated since moving to Yahoo. He’s an unavoidable NBA reporter who breaks stories, with insider access to star players. Haynes gets these star NBA players to open up on the record. In addition to his reporting, Haynes is a frequent contributor on FS1 and was added to TNT’s NBA coverage as a sideline reporter.

41. Doris Burke (ESPN)

Burke is very likely in line to jump up to ESPN/ABC’s NBA Finals broadcast team if Jeff Van Gundy or Mark Jackson returns to the coaching ranks. She has considerable respect around the game of basketball, both for her knowledge of the game and her broadcasting talent.


40. Jalen Rose (ESPN)

Rose is on-air on ESPN so much that you almost take him for granted. Between Countdown, Jalen & Jacoby, and appearances on studio shows like Get Up and First Take, he is on television a ton. Through all of the tumult on Countdown over the past 5+ years, he has been the sole survivor for a reason.

39. Tony Reali (ESPN)

Blink and you might miss it, but Reali has been the steady host of Around the Horn for over sixteen years now. He handles the role with a self-confident grace where he does not seek a ton of attention for himself, instead shining the spotlight on the panelists of the show. Behind the scenes, he has helped a lot of the talents who have risen through ATH over the years en route to their own platforms. 

38. Matthew Berry (ESPN)

It’s 2020 and fantasy football remains dramatically under-covered on television relative to fan interest in it. Berry is still the face of basically the entire fantasy football industry; his columns drive massive traffic on ESPN.com, his Fantasy Focus podcast with Field Yates is often prominent on the iTunes charts, and he also contributes to TV.

37. Rece Davis (ESPN)

Davis is a host who is not flashy, but he is an immaculate broadcaster -- he’s been at ESPN since 1995 and we don’t think we can ever recall him stuttering let alone making an error. When he took over College GameDay for Chris Fowler, the show did not skip a beat.

36. Joel Klatt (FOX)

Klatt is the analyst on FOX’s top college football team, and also makes appearances on FS1 studio shows like The Herd. He has great game analysis, and is able to communicate it in that concise window in between football plays like few others.

35. Mike Florio (PFT/NBC)

Whether you love Florio or not, you have to acknowledge that PFT remains a clearinghouse destination for all things NFL. It’s hard to imagine anyone who works in and around the league that does not read, watch, or listen to him.

34. Michael Irvin & Steve Smith (NFL Network)

This pair of former star NFL receivers, who work together on NFL Network’s studio coverage, sometimes look like they’re gonna legit fight each other on-air. It’s compelling and an odd part of their charm. Both of them bring high energy to studio programming, and are difference makers in the genre.

33. Rachel Nichols (ESPN)

Nichols has total command of the NBA. She lands the biggest names for interviews at the biggest times. On The Jump, she engages former players and news breakers for a conversation that will be squarely in the thick of things during the upcoming NBA playoff bubble in Orlando.

32. Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy (ESPN)

While they are not always the most popular duo on Twitter, Jackson and Van Gundy have been alongside Mike Breen on the NBA Finals team since 2007 (Jackson was not there in 2012 and 2013, when he was coaching the Warriors). It’s been a longer run than you may realize. It will be interesting to see if either of them gets a head coaching job this NBA offseason.

31. Mel Kiper, Todd McShay (ESPN)

Like fantasy football, there’s almost no amount of NFL Draft coverage that would satisfy the hordes who click mock drafts all year long. Kiper is the OG draftnik and McShay has solidified himself as Kiper’s heir apparent on ESPN.

30. Jeff Passan (ESPN)

Passan is very on top of free agency and trades, and has vaulted into a whole new echelon during the ongoing labor dispute between the MLB and MLBPA. His output in terms of breaking news, in-depth writing, and appearances on TV and radio calls into question how much sleep he could possibly be getting these days.

29. Paul Finebaum (ESPN)

Few voices in the industry have as much influence over the topics they cover as Paul Finebaum. And those topics, the SEC and college football, are two of ESPN’s most valuable properties. Over the past two seasons, Finebaum has expanded beyond just an SEC talent, appearing all over ESPN’s top studio shows during the fall. Finebaum’s contract expires next summer and he’s expected to have several options to choose from.

28. Jay Bilas (ESPN)

Bilas has been pounding the drum for NCAA player compensation for years, and major steps are finally going in that direction after Florida and California’s governors have signed bills that will enable them to capitalize on endorsements and autographs. He’s also as knowledgeable as they come about the entire college hoops landscape from a competition perspective.

27. Dan Le Batard (ESPN)

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz remains very popular in driving growth for ESPN’s podcast numbers, and a number of ESPN talents like Marty Smith, Mina Kimes, and Sarah Spain also have podcasts in the Le Batard and Friends group. Even if Le Batard and ESPN are ultimately winding down their relationship over the next couple of years, he will have suitors as companies like Spotify and Sirius compete in the audio sector.

26. Michael Strahan (FOX)

Strahan would be higher on this list if we were including his value away from sports -- we could’ve seen him as a big sports media star when he was a player, but crossing over to mainstream daytime TV has been very impressive -- but even in sports he’s a big component of FOX’s NFL bumper programming on Sundays and Thursdays.

25. Ernie Johnson (Turner)

Inside the NBA  is STILL the best bumper studio show in sports. While Charles Barkley remains the focal point, it’s Ernie and Shaq (and also Kenny Smith) who keep it all moving in an entertaining direction. You can count on Ernie Johnson to strike the right note in any moment, basketball or otherwise -- he has the perfect combo of levity and gravitas for a sports studio host.

24. Shaquille O’Neal (Turner)

No pun intended, but we forget how enormous a superstar Shaq is sometimes. He has a considerable business investment and endorsement portfolio, and has improved tremendously over the last several years on Inside the NBA.

23. Mike Breen (ESPN)

One of the things this pandemic has illustrated is certain announcers are SUCH welcome presences for nostalgia games. The moment you hear Breen on a classic NBA game, you know you’re in good hands. Getting to hear him call big upcoming NBA playoff games will feel really special.

22. Skip Bayless (FS1)

Bayless is the most intriguing looming media free agent. He is the biggest ratings draw on FS1. The next 6-8 months should be in his content wheelhouse, as LeBron James and the Lakers figure to compete for the NBA title, and the Dallas Cowboys will be going into a season with Mike McCarthy as the new head coach. Bayless is one of the few sports media personalities who is a difference-maker in linear television ratings. 

21. Big Cat & PFT Commenter (Barstool)

It may not be talked about enough how truly impressive a run Pardon My Take has had. It launched in 2016 when every big sports media institution -- and big name -- had as much as a decade-long head start. Producing three episodes a week, they still nearly always rank no. 1 in sports on iTunes four years later. Big Cat and PFT Commenter are digital media's Wilbon and Kornheiser, who similarly, dominate their medium. 

20. Max Kellerman (ESPN)

Kellerman is well-liked among ESPN’s top executives. He’s succeeded at each of his ESPN stops: First Take, SportsNation, Around the Horn, and drive time Los Angeles radio. He’s of the industry’s most talented all-around broadcasters. He's an elite boxing authority. Kellerman would be of interest to more than one network on the open market.

19. Alex Rodriguez (ESPN, FOX)

A-Rod is another talent who cuts through outside of sports -- he and J.Lo are ubiquitous in the celebrity gossip news. If baseball indeed comes back, he’ll be showcased as the lone analyst on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball this season. He’s also part of the popular FOX Sports studio program that does World Series coverage.

18. Troy Aikman (FOX)

Aikman won three Super Bowls as the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. He has great chemistry with Joe Buck, and has conciseness with his words that is under-appreciated -- next time you watch a game he's on, notice how quickly he gets in and out of his analysis between plays. As the years move forward, it will be interesting to see whether he remains in the booth or transitions to the studio.

17. Jim Nantz (CBS)

Nantz continues to have a stranglehold on CBS Sports’ top properties. He is the voice of The Masters, the Final Four, and NFL Sunday afternoons alongside Tony Romo. When it is all said and done, it will be remarkable how many historic sporting events he has called.

16. Al Michaels & Cris Collinsworth (NBC)

While NBC has Mike Tirico and ostensibly Drew Brees lined up as eventual replacements for Al & Cris, the Sunday Night Football broadcast remains a splendid viewing experience. There’s a reason why, even with Tirico in the wings, NBC would decline to engage with ESPN for trade talks with Michaels.

15. Terry Bradshaw (FOX)

Bradshaw, an everyman who happened to win four Super Bowls for an iconic NFL franchise, is vital to FOX’s popular Sunday pregame show. After Charles Barkley, he is arguably the biggest individual difference maker for any of pro or college sports bumper programming. Per Sports Media Watch, in the NFL regular season last year FOX NFL Sunday averaged 5.0 million viewers and ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown averaged 1.3 million viewers. SBJ noted that The NFL Today on CBS averaged 3.2 million viewers.

14. Mike Greenberg (ESPN)

Get Up is where ESPN’s young talents elevate; that’s in large part because of Greenberg’s A-level ability to play point guard. Greenberg, the network’s best conversation mover, has been able to turn the show into one of ESPN’s most acclaimed with different personalities each day. While Greenberg’s legacy will always begin with Mike & Mike, he continues to be the top national sports voice in the morning.

13. Chris Fowler & Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN/ABC)

What Herbstreit continues to do -- appear on College GameDay Saturday morning, before jetting to the network's top Saturday night -- is remarkable. Fowler and Herbstreit are rumored to be in the mix for Monday Night Football if there’s no college football season (though, from our vantage, it’s HIGHLY unlikely that the NFL would play and conferences like the SEC, Big 12, and Big Ten would not). 

12. Michael Wilbon & Tony Kornheiser (ESPN)

If you just consume sports content online, this will come as a shock: more people watch PTI than First Take. And, quite frankly, it’s not close. When either misses a show, the quality and ratings noticeably fall. At some point, maybe in a year or maybe in a decade, the duo’s time will come to an end. At that point, ESPN will have its biggest daily studio show decision yet. After all these years, no two personalities have been able to replicate what Wilbon and Kornheiser have together.

11. Adrian Wojnarowski (ESPN)

Wojnarowski breaks a majority of the NBA news and produces must-read stories regularly. Woj was key to ESPN’s revamped NBA studio programming this season. He was added to the main cast on both Fridays and Sundays. He also hosts a popular podcast inside basketball circles.

10. Adam Schefter (ESPN)

Schefter is coming off his best year as a professional, breaking the bombshell Andrew Luck retirement news, being the first to mention that Tom Brady could leave New England, and ultimately reporting he was going to Tampa. In addition, he was added to a main chair on the Monday Night Football pregame show.

9. Scott Van Pelt (ESPN)

Midnight SportsCenter is vital to ESPN’s aggregate viewership strategy, because it runs directly after their most-watched live events (Monday Night Football, NBA playoffs, College Football playoffs, etc.). SVP’s role is to maintain as much of that audience as possible, mixing in classic SportsCenter highlights with sports talk radio style conversation and analysis. He does that as well as anyone could.

8. Colin Cowherd (FS1/FOX)

Cowherd is widely recognized by decision-makers as the top sports radio host in the country. The Herd is successful on TV, radio, and digitally. When he retired from the company, former ESPN Radio boss Traug Keller said his biggest regret was not keeping Cowherd. At FOX, Cowherd has transitioned to the network’s NFL bumper coverage as the focal point of FOX NFL Kickoff, which draws over a million viewers a week.

7. Charles Barkley (Turner)

Barkley is 57 years old and has been out of the NBA for 20 years, and in that time sports networks still have not been able to find anyone like him -- a star former athlete with personality, a keen sense of humor, and fearless candor. He keeps teasing retirement; hopefully that is a lot further away than he leads us to believe.

6. Mike Tirico (NBC)

Perhaps no network is more satisfied with the face of its coverage as NBC is with Mike Tirico. Tirico does it all at NBC: hosts the network’s popular Football Night in America show, calls Notre Dame games, and appears on coverage for golf, the Olympics, the Triple Crown, and the Stanley Cup playoffs. His status will only rise in the years to come as he’s expected to eventually take over for Al Michaels in the SNF booth.

5. Joe Buck (FOX)

Joe Buck is the best game-caller in sports. His calls from the historical 2016 Cubs’ World Series win were among the best of the past decade. Buck, as a transcendent broadcaster, has separated FOX’s broadcasts from the competition. Romo’s paradigm-shifting contract negotiations will bode well for Buck, who would be an upgrade on every network’s NFL and MLB broadcasts.

4. Stephen A. Smith (ESPN)

There still isn’t a sports media talent who individually changes a network’s ratings like Stephen A. Smith. Stephen A. is more famous than the vast majority of athletes he covers. This past fall, ESPN made him its highest-paid talent with a 5-year deal. In addition to the daily lineup, Stephen A. now hosts a hit NBA pregame show on Wednesday nights. ESPN can replace most personalities, this is one it cannot.

3. Tony Romo (CBS)

In a draft of sports media talents, Tony Romo would be the first pick off the board for most executives. He’s already in the upper echelon of all-time NFL color commentators. Romo’s value rose so high that it created an unprecedented bidding war between Disney and CBS. Romo chose to stay with CBS with a contract that’ll pay him $17 million per year.

2. Bill Simmons (Ringer/Spotify)

Simmons and his team built The Ringer from scratch and within four years sold it to Spotify for between $141 million and $196 million, depending on how the platform performs versus incentives. Simmons was an early adopter in podcasting and has sustained high popularity there, and is also a driving force behind documentaries like HBO’s Andre the Giant doc and the upcoming series of music films. With nine-figure deals Simmons, Joe Rogan, and Dave Portnoy have made in the past year, elite digital talents have for now risen in value above TV talents. 

1. Dave Portnoy (Barstool)

While his fortune is apt to swing wildly with PENN stock after the casino company acquired Barstool Sports, Portnoy is on a roll right now and worth north of $100 million. On the fly, he has reinvented himself as a day trader and been covered for it in Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times (albeit, the stories also expressed skepticism on the sustainability of his run). This is all just the latest proof that he can galvanize an audience to watch him do anything, whether it’s eating pizza or unboxing an apartment full of random tribute gifts from fans. While the pandemic has deferred plans for Barstool to become a funnel of its audience into casino customers, that will be a very interesting sports media story to observe coming soon. Portnoy could very well be the biggest winner of the sports gambling gold rush across America.

On trajectory to be on future versions of this list: Maria Taylor, Adam Amin, Joe Davis, Ryan Ruocco, Marcus Spears, Nate Burleson, Taylor Rooks, Mina Kimes, Adam Lefkoe, Daniel Jeremiah, Chiney Ogwumike.