Stephen A Smith (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for PrizePicks)
Stephen A Smith has been a staple of ESPN since joining in 2003.
He is literally everywhere and covering just about every sport.
Currently, Smith is under contract with ESPN until June 2025, but he and the company have been working on getting him a new contract.
Things have been progressing well as Stephen A Smith is nearing a new deal with Disney/ESPN, and a current proposal would give him even more influence within the larger Disney empire, according to a report by Variety.
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported the deal will be around six years and $120 million.
Smith currently makes $12 million annually on his ESPN contract, which is set to expire in 2025.
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It was reported over the summer that Disney made an $18 million per year offer to Smith, but he turned it down as he was seeking a deal worth at least $25 million.
It should be noted that Pat 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 with Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, Desmond Howard, and Lee Corso.
Stephen A Smith Responds To Reported $120 Million Deal With ESPN
Stephen A Smith is nearing a new deal with ESPN, according to multiple reports.
Brian Steinberg of Variety stated that a new deal could be announced over the “next several weeks” and that it could include a “first-look” arrangement with Disney.
In the wake of this news, Smith issued a fiery statement, making it clear that the Variety report that the two sides are close to a deal was ‘False.’
“Here’s my quote, ‘I was born AT NIGHT, not last night. I don’t talk about my contract negotiations. Never have. Never will,” Smith told The Athletic.
