ESPN Reportedly Offers Massive Deal To Stephen A. Smith, Still Short Of Network Star's Demand
ESPN has reportedly made its bid to keep Stephen A. Smith, 56, as the face of the network. However, the estimated amount per year offered to SAS still appears far off from the TV vet's expectations for a new deal.
According to a New York Post report on Thursday, ESPN reached out and offered Stephen A. Smith a five-year, $90 million deal, paying out $18 million per year. Stephen A. Smith, via his agency at William Morris Endeavor (WME), reportedly seeks a deal worth $25 million per year, which is at major odds with the network's current offer.
Even at a ridiculous figure, it would be shocking for ESPN to not back up the Brinks truck.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 14: Head coach Stephen A. Smith of Team Stephen A. looks on before the 2020 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Presented By Ruffles at Wintrust Arena on February 14, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Stephen A. Smith Has More Clout Than Ever, Prompting Questions On New ESPN Deal
Smith has been open about wanting to be ESPN's highest-paid talent, head and shoulders above the rest. Previously speaking with OutKick founder Clay Travis, Smith said he's ‘chasing the bag’ in his negotiations with the network, knowing he's still a headline magnet.
This means getting paid more than guys on the Monday Night Football broadcast or Pat McAfee.
When asked if he wanted to be the highest-paid person at ESPN, Smith told Clay "Yes. I’m not stuttering… hell yes, that’s absolutely true."
He continued, "I look at whether it’s Pat McAfee, Mike Greenberg, Scott Van Pelt, Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, Kirk Herbstreit. The list goes on and on… I’m so honored to have the colleagues that I have and work with at ESPN every day.
"But at the end of the day, it would be nice one day for this man to stand before everyone and say I am number 1, and this says I’m number 1."
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: Stephen A. Smith attends a playoff basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on May 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
If Stephen A. isn't comfortable with ESPN's figures, what's to keep him from leaving? Smith, now more than ever, isn't entirely depending on the network to keep his platform alive, setting the stage for things to get interesting in these negotiations.
Since joining ESPN in 2003, Smith has spearheaded his own radio show and been featured on all of their marquee coverage for leagues like the NBA. Smith's status has cultivated enough of a following in the past two decades that he's now launched a platform outside of the Mothership, including his YouTube show, "The Stephen A. Smith Show."
On that separate program, Smith's uncensored commentary pulls in enough of an audience for him to fully invest in if ESPN is no longer associated.
Stephen A. Smith has more than established himself as the face of ESPN, and the network may have no choice but to pay the analyst as it broadens its programming to streaming and additional platforms.
Clay Travis FIRES BACK At Stephen A. Smith's DEI Defense | OutKick The Show w/ Clay Travis
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