Stephen A. Smith in talks over $120 million six year ESPN contract and will be handed major new broadcasting role

ESPN and Stephen A. Smith have been in negotiations for a six-year, $120 million contract.

If the sale goes through, Smith, 56, would also be assigned to a new position in broadcasting.

According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, Smith has reached an agreement with ESPN worth about $20 million annually.

However, the article claims that the transaction is not final.

Variety claimed that the agreement was almost finalized, but according to The Athletic, Stephen A. “appears unsatisfied where things stand.”

Smith’s confirmation via text that a deal was not finalized and a brief back-and-forth on the terms of the contract are the basis for The Athletic’s interpretation.

“I was born AT NIGHT, not last night,” is my quote. I keep my contract negotiations to myself. I never did. Smith wrote to The Athletic, “Never will.”

According to Variety, Stephen A. would get some “first-look” possibilities for projects at various divisions of the corporate parent company, Disney, as a result of the new arrangement.

The highest amount of money given to an ESPN on-air personality who isn’t bound by a licensing agreement would be Stephen A.’s $20 million annually.

ESPN first offered Smith $18 million a year, but Smith sought $25 million, according to a June story by Puck’s John Ourand.

According to Marchand, the agreement might ultimately be reached at $100 million and five years.

At ESPN, Smith presently makes $12 million annually.

Additionally, the network’s gambling sportsbook, ESPN BET, has multimillion-dollar sports gambling relationships with him.

Given that he now earns almost $17 million annually from ESPN for licensing his daily self-titled program, Stephen A.’s potential compensation would surpass that of Pat McAfee.

Smith would also make more money than Joe Buck ($15 million) and Troy Aikman ($18 million) of ESPN’s Monday Night Football commentators.

At $37.5 million a season, Tom Brady presently earns the highest income of any NFL game caller for Fox.

Since 2012, Stephen A. has represented First Take.

He has been debating a changing group of co-hosts since 2021, including Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, Cam Newton, and Shannon Sharpe.

Smith also contributes to NBACountdown as an analyst.

He develops and presents his own YouTube show in his spare time.

Stephen A. has expressed his wish to eventually succeed Jimmy Kimmelif when the late-night host’s ABC show concludes.

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