Report: Stephen A. Smith’s $100M ESPN deal allows more political talk

ESPN and Stephen A. Smith have agreed on a new five-year contract worth at least $100 million, The Athletic reported Thursday.

The deal allows the prolific opinionist to reduce some of his duties while remaining a regular fixture on “First Take” — which could allow him to spend more time talking politics as he desires, according to the report.

Smith, 57, already has a separate podcast outside ESPN’s umbrella called “The Stephen A. Smith Show” where he talks about topics inside and outside sports. He also makes appearances on Fox News and elsewhere to discuss politics, while most other ESPN personalities do not get the same leeway to do so.

In recent weeks, Smith has entertained discussion about him as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, while saying he was not seriously interested in running.

Smith, whose previous contract earned him $12 million per year, according to The Athletic, figures to appear less frequently on ESPN’s NBA pregame and postgame programming. Beginning in 2025-26, ESPN will air “Inside the NBA” with Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith thanks to a licensing agreement with TNT, which lost its NBA TV package in the latest negotiations.

–Field Level Media