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Stephen A. Smith Contract: ESPN Host Signs New $100M Deal
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Stephen A. Smith will be staying with ESPN for the foreseeable future. The popular media personality has reportedly signed a new contract. View the details below.
Stephen A. Smith Signs New Deal
NEWS: Stephen A. Smith's deal is complete with ESPN for five years and at least $100 million, The Athletic has learned.
Full story:https://t.co/DWBL9cBdSN
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) March 6, 2025
Smith has signed a five-year deal worth at least $100 million, per The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.
Smith and ESPN were reportedly close to a deal in December.
Under the new deal, Smith will continue to be the primary analyst on First Take, ESPN’s popular debate show that airs Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. ET to 12 p.m. ET.
Marchand’s report states that Smith will begin scaling back some of his other appearances on other ESPN shows, notably NBA Countdown.
Smith has been a staple of ESPN’s NBA coverage for years.
ESPN signed a licensing agreement to air Inside The NBA, TNT Sports’ Emmy Award-winning studio show. Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, and Charles Barkley are expected to remain with the show when it moves to ESPN/ABC starting with the 2025-2026 season.
Under his old deal, Smith made around $12 million annually. Smith’s new deal will be at least $20 million annually, making him one of the highest-paid sports media personalities.
Tom Brady remains the highest-paid sports media personality at $37.5 million annually. Smith’s contract now rivals Charles Barkley’s $21 million, the second-highest on the list.
Stephen A. Smith’s Transition Into Politics
The biggest provision in Smith’s new contract is the freedom to talk about politics.
Smith has been a guest on several notable politically charged talk shows, including Real Time with Bill Maher, Hannity, and Cuomo.
Smith has also expanded his political coverage on his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show.
By scaling back his schedule, Smith will now have more opportunities to talk politics.
Smith’s name has even been thrown around into preliminary talks for the Democratic nomination for the presidential election in 2028.
While Smith has no desire to run, he also didn’t rule it out, as evidenced by his comments on The View.
