One of the NBA’s most well-known media members just got paid on Thursday in what will amount to over $100 million over the next five years. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, the new contract will continue his spot on First Take while scaling back his other appearances across the ESPN network.
“Stephen A. Smith has agreed to a new contract with ESPN worth at least $100 million for five years, an agreement that will result in Smith continuing to star on “First Take” on ESPN while scaling back some of his other required appearances on the network, which would free him up to talk even more about politics, sources briefed on the agreement told The Athletic.”
ESPN is one of the leading sports media hubs in all platforms with millions of viewers across the world. While the network is often criticized for its sports coverage, media stars like Stephen A. Smith help keep things interesting.
Smith’s contract was set to expire this summer but ESPN was not willing to part with the leading voice of their NBA coverage. Now, he’s set to stick around for the next five years to continue in the spotlight.
Smith, 57, rose to prominence in sports media way back in the 1990s, when he started his role as a beat writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Through various appearances on television and radio, Smith became an increasingly popular figure in the sports world.
When he was given the co-host chair on First Take in 2012. His skills as a speaker and debater earned him unprecedented fame in the field until he became its most recognizable personality. Today, Mr. Smith is worth roughly $25 million and his next contract will see him out-earn many NBA athletes, including D’Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson, Lu Dort, Austin Reaves, Malik Monk, Coby White, and Chris Paul (among others).
The contract will make Stephen A. one of the highest-paid journalists in America, but he’d argue it’s well worth the price considering he works 330 days out of the year.
As for what’s next for the sports media icon, we already know that he will continue running his hit show First Take every morning. It’s his claim to fame and now the show is entirely his after the falling out with Max Kellerman.
In his new contract, Stephen A. set plans in place to limit his commitments to other shows, such as NBA Countdown and NBA Today, in order to pursue other ventures.
Besides his podcast and other personal business ventures, Smith has also taken an interest in politics and it seems like he’s setting himself up to increase his presence and credibility on the subject.
As a self-proclaimed Democrat, Smith has already been seen on shows like The View and The Tonight Show. While he’s not a Trump supporter, he’s been more critical of his party than anything else and recently went viral for his brutal and unfiltered review of the 2024 election results.
Stephen A. has even been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in 2028. The ESPN journalist has no experience in politics, but neither did Trump before he ran and won the presidential office in 2016.
Smith has some big ambitions and this new contract from ESPN is not only a sign of his longevity in the industry but also of his desire to spread out and branch into other subjects. Only time will tell if his string of success continues.
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