Disney (ABC/ESPN) has put an $18M per year contract renewal offer to Stephen A. Smith

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

The most important thing he can cling to is he is the reason the network gets views and discussed outside of actual live sports, which they are awful at broadcasting regardless of the sport. Without Stephen A there is little reason to tune into ESPN from 7am to 7pm.

The casual audience does listen to him. It's the "hardcore, I listen to multiple podcasts dedicated to a single sport, and discuss sports on message boards audience" that has a problem with him. And guess what, those folks don't move the needle. Those are the same people who don't think CC is important in growing the WNBA...............as she proceeds to sell out the Atlanta Hawks arena.

If the casual audience did rock with him like that then his endeavors outside of sports would be more of a successful than they have been.

It’s a reason why he changed his podcast name from No Mercy after McAfee came into the fold as that shyt was a flop otherwise. His Disney+ show was a flop as hell hence why you never hear it mentioned by him at all.

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

There was a study that showed whoever is calling the NFL games means basically nothing to the bottom line. I think broadcasters are starting to figure that out. The idea they gave Tom Brady that kind of money is wild because the study suggests that he won't attract more viewers than some regular ass play-by-play team.

 

[Tribal Outkast]

There was a study that showed whoever is calling the NFL games means basically nothing to the bottom line. I think broadcasters are starting to figure that out. The idea they gave Tom Brady that kind of money is wild because the study suggests that he won't attract more viewers than some regular ass play-by-play team.

You don’t give Tom Brady money like that if you don’t care who’s in the booth. They obviously care more about viewers than putting somebody up there who knows what they’re doing. Why demote Greg Olsen when he was doing a great job for them? CBS got Romo which helped them big time no matter what people think about Romo. Of course you’re going to throw money at Tom Brady, the guy considered the greatest QB ever. Fox just better hope it works out well for them.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

There was a study that showed whoever is calling the NFL games means basically nothing to the bottom line. I think broadcasters are starting to figure that out. The idea they gave Tom Brady that kind of money is wild because the study suggests that he won't attract more viewers than some regular ass play-by-play team.

It doesn’t, but for someone like ESPN, paying Aikman and Buck brought stability to that MNF booth. It matters and why they backed the brinks truck to lure them from Fox even if it meant paying a premium.

Even ESPN could use that in the case of Countdown and their announce team as it makes a shytty viewing experience as a fan even if you’re going to watch it regardless.

 

[Rekkapryde]

Nobody is going to watch Fox over CBS because Tom Brady is calling the game. They are going to watch whichever game they have more interest in regardless of who is calling it.

Not to mention the majority of people will not even have access to watch the Tom Brady game depending on the week.

It's a joke he got that much money for a job he has no experience performing.

Stephen A carries ESPN. They don't have any personalities that drive a conversation or brings eyes like he does.

shyt is insane

 

[Street Knowledge]

There’s track record of his non-sports endeavors flopping.

His Disney+ show flopped and his podcast did as well hence him having to change the name.

$25 million is entertainment level bread and the casual audience has shown they don’t care about sports like that. They don't view him on the level of people like Kelly Ripa, Roberts and Strahan who command that type of bread.

Yeah he’s tried desperately the last decade to go outside the sports realm and it always flops

 

[Still Benefited]

Stephen A has carried that network for years. But for some reason nikkas here think he should have been pushed out for more Tim Legler air time.

Time for Stephen A to move around. Not for Tim Legler,but plenty of talent in the sports podcast space you could probably pay 3 million a year to.

 

[K-Apps]

Yall talking about SAS I'm tryna figure out how tf does rachel maddow get 30mil a year

This article explains it lol:

Rachel Mad-Dough: Is MSNBC Host Worth $30 Million a Year Without a Nightly Show? - TheWrap

Industry insiders say MSNBC is taking a "gamble," but agree the star primetime host is worth the network's money

www.thewrap.com

 

[K-Apps]

ESPN’s biggest star doesn’t simply covet McAfeebucks—he also wants a McAfee-style deal structure that would pay him out like he’s running his own production company. What should Pitaro do?

Say what you will about Norby Williamson, ESPN’s recently defenestrated jack-of-all-trades who helped revolutionize the network during the past two decades until he ran into the Pat McAfee buzz saw. Williamson was a renowned talent whisperer who was known for making unpopular decisions and cleaning up Bristol micro-scandals, like the SC6 drama involving Jemele Hill and Michael Smith. But it’s hard to imagine that even Norby would have had the special sauce to manage the latest mushrooming talent challenge at ESPN.
As I reported last week, Stephen A. Smith, the network’s top talent, appears unwilling to countenance its recent five-year, $90 million offer, which would pay the voluble star $18 million per year. Instead, Smith covets the blockbuster deal that the network used to persuade McAfee to decamp last year from FanDuel. Notably, ESPN pays McAfee’s production company, which operates his talk show, $25 million a year—a fee that covers all its operating costs: salaries, insurance, fixed costs, etcetera. ESPN has also offered him about $5 million a year to appear on College GameDay, sources told me. (McAfee has yet to sign the deal.)

 

[Spliff]

They really lowballing the face of the company.

Disney has no shame.

 

[feelosofer]

Dude works basically 7 days a week most weeks if anything Stephen A is being underpaid.

 

[Loggie]

He’s getting 21.5M for 6 years.

NFL bread.

 

[Lord Beasley]

Phil Mushnick is a hatin ass cac fr