Sports television personality Stephen A. Smith Rich Storry-Imagn Images

Stephen A. Smith Closing in on Record Contract Extension With ESPN

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Dec 4, 2024 9:30 AM ET

Playing hardball apparently paid off for polarizing sports analyst Stephen A. Smith.

It was reported over the summer by Puck.News’ John Ourand that Smith turned down a lucrative five-year, $90 million contract offer from ESPN to stay with the network because he wanted to be the company’s highest-paid on-air personality, making more than Pat McAfee and “Monday Night Football” announcers Troy Aikman and Joe Buck.

Well, it appears Smith is getting his wish as he and ESPN are closing in on a $120 million multi-year contract extension, as first reported by Brian Steinberg of Variety and later confirmed by the New York Post’s Ryan Glasspiegel.

McAfee nets close to $30 million per year for ESPN to simulcast his daily “Pat McAfee Show” on the network as well as his weekly appearances on “College GameDay” along Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, Desmond Howard and Lee Corso.

Under contract with the terms of his current deal until June 2025, Smith’s new salary is expected to top McAfee’s and his new deal could give him more creative freedom to pitch different concepts across Disney’s entertainment space, per Steinberg.

Smith has been hosting radio shows for ESPN since 2005, and he’s now arguably the network’s most well-known on-air talent.

He is also the face of popular debate-style morning show “First Take,” and he makes regular guest appearance on other network shows including “SportsCenter” and “NBA Countdown.” He also serves as ESPN’s top NBA analyst, not to be confused with Shams Charania, the network’s top NBA insider.

With popular NBA show “Inside the NBA” set to air on ESPN next season, though it will still be owned and produced by TNT, it’s not known if Smith will have a regular presence on the program or if ESPN will keep him separate from the show’s regular four-man panel of Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith.

ESPN has also had discussion about giving Smith a more prominent role in NFL coverage moving forward, though the company hasn’t made any official announcements about Smith taking on an increased role in an NFL capacity.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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