Stephen A. Smith spoke about his contract status and the fact that he will be looking for a significant pay rise next season, specifically in the $100 million region, during a recent interview with Chris Wallace. Smith compared himself to someone like the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, who earned a big payday himself, believes that he is the best in his field, and proves his worth with the results he provides.
“I’m not getting specific as it pertains to numbers because only a fool discusses his own negotiations while negotiating. I would ask, respectfully; pay attention to the industry, and see what people are getting paid. See how much money they’re making, and what they’re bringing to the table.”
“Dak Prescott just signed a contract for $240 million. He’s making $60 million a year… [Prescott] has won two playoff games in eight years. I’ve been number one for 12. I’m sorry – in our respective industries, I win. And I’m fully aware of what I’m worth, and I will never apologize to that for anybody.”
Smith is currently on a four-year, $48 million contract that pays him $12 million a year, with $8 million in base salary, and $4 million for any production costs he undertakes. A deal worth $100 million would net Stephen A. Smith an annual salary of $25 million a year, which would be more than a lot of professional athletes all over the world.
Considering how many recent cuts ESPN has made, including Zach Lowe, along with the retirement of prominent ESPN NBA correspondent Adrian Wojnarowski, Smith might just get his wish, as ESPN veers into a direction where they prioritize entertainment and sensational commentary over authentic sports analysis.
Stephen A. Smith Continues To Dominate The Media
While the reported sum he’s suggesting is quite excessive, Smith is well within his rights to demand the amount he does, because he is one of the most popular figures in sports media today. Many consider Smith to be a big draw, who also helps contextualize sports in a very interesting and entertaining way.
Last year, he formed one of the most powerful partnerships in sports media, when he was able to recruit Shannon Sharpe to ESPN First Take, after Sharpe’s acrimonious departure from Undisputed following a falling out with Smith’s former colleague Skip Bayless.
Sharpe and Smith, on their own, were two of the most popular figures in the sports commentary space, and combining their massive audiences together for First Take was a big get that ESPN has no doubt benefitted from.
On top of that, Smith is perhaps motivated to garner a bigger contract based on the recent deal ESPN made with former NFL punter-turned-broadcaster Pat McAfee to broadcast his daily show live on their streaming service, ESPN+. ESPN reportedly pays $85 million over five years.
Will Smith sign the massive deal he is looking for? It is very likely, but it might not be with ESPN, as some other networks like Fox Sports, or The Ringer could come in and offer him what he is looking for. Much like NBA free agency, Smith’s future contract saga will be one to follow closely.
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