Stephen A. Smith has scored a new five-year deal with ESPN worth at least $100 million. This agreement allows him to continue his role on “First Take,” while reducing his other on-air commitments. This change means he’ll have more time to discuss politics and other issues outside of sports.
Smith will still anchor “First Take,” his popular morning show, but he won’t be as present across ESPN’s other programs. According to sources, he won’t be a regular on the network’s main NBA pregame show anymore. However, he may still appear occasionally on basketball programs and during big events like “Monday Night Football.”
ESPN has chosen not to comment on this agreement.
Smith has long been a key player on ESPN’s NBA pregame show, “Countdown,” which airs before The Finals. Recently, ESPN also signed a licensing deal with TNT for “Inside The NBA,” led by Charles Barkley, a move Smith has supported.
This new arrangement will give Smith the freedom to make more guest appearances on political shows and potentially earn extra income outside of ESPN. He has been quite vocal about current political figures, including Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and has even been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate. Smith often discusses broader social issues on his own show as well.
While he has entertained the idea of running for president, he has also made it clear that he enjoys his current lifestyle and hasn’t committed to a campaign. If he were to run for the Democratic nomination in 2028, he might be unable to meet all of his ESPN contract obligations. Previously, he earned around $12 million a year with the network.
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