{"id":2281886,"date":"2024-06-22T17:39:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-22T21:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/espn-offers-stephen-a-smith-eye-popping-90-million-deal-but-he-wants-mcafee-bucks-report\/"},"modified":"2024-06-22T17:43:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-22T21:43:35","slug":"espn-offers-stephen-a-smith-eye-popping-90-million-deal-but-he-wants-mcafee-bucks-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/espn-offers-stephen-a-smith-eye-popping-90-million-deal-but-he-wants-mcafee-bucks-report\/","title":{"rendered":"ESPN Offers Stephen A. Smith Eye-Popping $90 Million Deal, But He \u2018Wants McAfee Bucks\u2019: Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fespn-offers-stephen-a-smith-eye-popping-90-million-deal-but-he-wants-mcafee-bucks-report%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2281886&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>ESPN \u200dhost\u2063 Stephen A. Smith is reportedly\u2064 on the brink \u2063of \u200bsecuring a significant \u200bcontract \u2063from ESPN that could total \u200b$90 million over five years, as per a report by \u200bPuck News. Despite this substantial offer of $18 million per year, Smith is\u200c aiming for a salary closer to what his colleague Pat McAfee earns, roughly $25 million annually. McAfee&#8217;s remuneration includes\u200d earnings from his show as well as his role on \u2063\u201cESPN College Gameday,\u201d though \u200cit is noted that\u200d his figure also includes production costs. The situation indicates a\u200d challenging negotiation ahead for both Smith and ESPN, particularly as ESPN&#8217;s parent company, Disney, is currently not in a robust financial state, having faced issues such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nolte-after-two-weeks-woketard-355-fails-to-top-9m-at-box-office\/\" title=\"Nolte: After Two Weeks, Woketard '355' Fails to Top M at Box Office\">box office failures<\/a> and layoffs.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/news\/\">  News <\/a>    <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/bchai\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/bchai\/%20\"><span>Bryan Chai<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   June 22, 2024 at 2:19pm <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>ESPN host Stephen A. Smith could be on the verge of a wild payday.<\/p>\n<p>A stunning report from <a href=\"https:\/\/puck.news\/stephen-a-smith-offered-18-million-a-year-by-espn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Puck News<\/a> has revealed that \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/charles-barkley-says-got-fed-turned-off-espn-kinda-idiots-running-network\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Worldwide Leader in Sports<\/a>\u201d is ponying up quite a lucrative contract offer to Smith \u2014 and it still might not be enough for Smith.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congressional-budget-office-minimum-wage-hike-would-cost-1-4-million-jobs\/\" title=\"Congressional Budget Office: Minimum Wage Hike Would Cost 1.4 Million Jobs\">outlet notes<\/a> that the brash and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/stephen-smith-calls-panel-goes-off-knicks-loss-yall-think-happened\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">outspoken<\/a> Smith is being offered $18 million a year over five years, a deal that would total an eye-popping $90 million.<\/p>\n<p>Puck News reporter John Ourand notes, however, \u201cI\u2019m told Stephen A. wants McAfee bucks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pat McAfee, ESPN\u2019s other golden goose, makes nearly $30 million per year between the broadcast deal for his frat-boyish \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/espns-pat-mcafee-shills-taylor-swift-says-needs-super-bowl-ring-bizarre-segment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pat McAfee Show<\/a>\u201d and McAfee\u2019s role on \u201cESPN College Gameday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(As Puck News notes, however, ESPN would balk at that comparison, given that McAfee\u2019s figure includes production costs.)<\/p>\n<p>Smith\u2019s idea of \u201cMcAfee bucks\u201d is in the neighborhood of $25 million per year, per Ourand.<\/p>\n<p>The reported $18 million per year figure, while eye-watering to most working Americans, falls well short of what Smith reportedly wants.<\/p>\n<p>As to whether or not Smith eventually gets that sought-after figure, it\u2019s hard to tell.<\/p>\n<div id=\"firefly-poll-container\">\n<p>Do you think Stephen A. Smith is overpaid?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>On the one hand, love him or hate him (and Smith gets his fair share of both), Smith seems to evoke <em>some <\/em>sort of powerful emotion from everyday watchers. That draws in viewers.<\/p>\n<p>And, again, regardless of one\u2019s personal feelings towards Smith, it\u2019s also hard to deny that the man has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/stephen-smith-lights-analyst-wnba-delusion-caitlin-clark-jealousy-talks-wnba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a knack<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-stephen-smith-lights-womens-olympic-basketball-caitlin-clark-snub-dare\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">going viral<\/a> \u2014 something very important in today\u2019s social media-driven world.<\/p>\n<p>Given ESPN\u2019s continuing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-espn-host-rages-race-culture-around-caitlin-clark-white-sport-black-people\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">decline in cultural heft<\/a> outside of Smith and McAfee, one might assume that \u201cThe Worldwide Leader\u201d bites the pricey bullet and brings Smith back at his exorbitant demands.<\/p>\n<p>But that would be quite the expensive investment \u2014 especially after the investment in McAfee \u2014 for an ESPN whose parent company, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-disney-exec-admits-company-openly-discriminates-white-males-spoken-agreement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Disney<\/a>, is not exactly going through the best of times at the moment.<\/p>\n<p>After a disastrous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/year-flopbuster-2023s-10-biggest-box-office-failures\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2023<\/a> at the box office, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/world-disneys-latest-film-actually-exceeding-expectations-amid-rough-2024-box-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2024<\/a> has seen the House of Mouse enjoy a tad more success at theaters, but that\u2019s easily been offset by other issues \u2014 like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/fans-revolt-disastrous-star-wars-show-introduces-massive-plot-hole-pronouns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">revolting fans<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/disney-makes-significant-layoffs-pixar-admitting-mistake\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">layoffs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Even the most extreme of Disney optimists would have to admit that the company isn\u2019t operating from a position of power, nor is it flush with cash.<\/p>\n<p>Divvying up that $90 million earmarked for Smith for other shows or talents certainly seems like a more prudent investment.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, both Smith and ESPN have quite the game of cat-and-mouse ahead of them.<\/p>\n<p>Smith wants to be paid like a franchise player.<\/p>\n<p>ESPN may not be able to afford it.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>A Note from Our Deputy Managing Editor:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>I heard a chilling comment the other day: \u201cWe don\u2019t even know if an election will be held in 2024.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>That wasn\u2019t said by a conspiracy theorist or a doomsday prophet. No, former U.S. national security advisor Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said that to the founder of The Western Journal, Floyd Brown.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Gen. Flynn\u2019s warning means that the 2024 election is the most important election for every single living American. If we lose this one to the wealthy elites who hate us, hate God, and hate what America stands for, we can only assume that 248 years of American history and the values we hold dear to our hearts may soon vanish.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The end game is here, and as Benjamin Franklin said, \u201cWe must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>All of this means that <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>without you<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>, it\u2019s over. We have the platform, the journalists, and the experience to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-rises-as-he-promises-hes-only-begun-to-fight-put-on-full-armor-of-god-to-fight-the-left\/\" title=\"DeSantis Rises As He Promises He\u2019s \u2018Only Begun To Fight\u2019: \u2018Put On Full Armor Of God\u2019 To Fight The Left\">fight back hard<\/a>, but Big Tech is strangling us through advertising blacklists, shadow bans, and algorithms. Did you know that we\u2019ve been blacklisted by 90% of advertisers? Without direct support from you, our readers, we can\u2019t continue the fight.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Can we count on <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>your support<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>? It may not seem like much, but a <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Western Journal Membership<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  can make all the difference in the world because when you support us directly, you cut Big Tech out of the picture. They lose control. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>A monthly Western Journal Membership costs less than one coffee and breakfast sandwich each month, and it gets you access to ALL of our content \u2014 news, commentary, and premium articles. You\u2019ll experience a radically reduced number of ads, and most importantly you will be vitally supporting the fight for America\u2019s soul in 2024.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We are literally counting on you because without our members, The Western Journal would cease to exist. Will you <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>join us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  in the fight? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Sincerely,<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Josh Manning<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Deputy Managing Editor<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The Western Journal<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-44778\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/bchai\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-44778\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-44778\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-44778\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-44778\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  Bryan Chai has written news and sports for The Western Journal for more than five years and has produced more than 1,300 stories. He specializes in the NBA and NFL as well as politics. He graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. He is an avid fan of sports, video games, politics and debate. <\/p>\n<p>  Birthplace <\/p>\n<p>  Hawaii <\/p>\n<p>  Education <\/p>\n<p>  Class of 2010 University of Arizona. BEAR DOWN. <\/p>\n<p>  Location <\/p>\n<p>  Phoenix, Arizona <\/p>\n<p>  Languages Spoken <\/p>\n<p>  English, Korean <\/p>\n<p>  Topics of Expertise <\/p>\n<p>  Sports, Entertainment, Science\/Tech <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ESPN&#8217;s Stephen A. Smith is poised for a massive payday, according to a report from Puck News. The sports network is reportedly offering Smith a lucrative contract, which may still fall short of his expectations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2015,"featured_media":2281887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/smith-and-patmac.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32151,5851,32152,3819,32150],"class_list":["post-2281886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-90-million-deal","tag-espn","tag-mcafee-bucks","tag-report","tag-stephen-a-smith"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/smith-and-patmac.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2281886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2015"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2281886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2281886\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2281887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2281886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2281886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2281886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}