The best basketball reporter in the business just got a serious payday.
In a new report by Outkick, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has just re-signed with the network for a whopping $10 million deal, joining Adam Schefter, Stephen A. Smith, and Michael Greenberg as some of the highest-paid sports broadcasters.
ESPN re-signed insiders Adam Schefter and Adrian Wojnarowski to multi-year contracts on Thursday. And according to OutKick sources, ESPN will pay each of them $10 million a year.
Schefter and Wojnarowski’s contracts both would have expired this summer, and each man had interest from several gambling companies.
The spending spree at ESPN began earlier in March when the network signed Joe Buck and Troy Aikman to broadcast Monday Night Football. ESPN will pay Buck and Aikman $18 million and $15 million, respectively, over the next five years.
Woj and Schefter’s salaries will fall between Stephen A. Smith’s at $12 million and Mike Greenberg’s at $6.5 million.
Woj’s contract was going to expire this summer, and there was some speculation that he could join FOX or The Athletic.
As the most well-connected Insider in the NBA, losing Wojnarowski would have been a huge black eye for the network.
ESPN insiders Adam Schefter and Adrian Wojnarowski, and Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, are all poised to hit free agency this summer and there’s no shortage of viable bidders.
The Athletic, recently purchased by the New York Times for $550 million, and other potential suitors have sent word to the ESPN pair’s reps that they’re ready to make offers as soon as they’re able, sources told Front Office Sports.
Thanks to a huge payout, ESPN was able to retain its top reporters.
Woj, who joined ESPN back in 2017, turned into a sensation while with Yahoo Sports, where he was often the first to report on NBA-related news and topics.
While many fans are disappointed he will not be reuniting with Shams Charania, we can all rest easy knowing Woj will continue to provide his legendary updates for years to come.
