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Stephen A. Smith, ESPN Agree To Five-Year, $100M Deal; Will No Longer Be Fixture On 'Countdown'
Posted: Thu Mar 6, 2025 10:37 pm
by RealGM Wiretap
Stephen A. Smith and ESPN have agreed to a five-year, $100 million deal. Smith will continue to star on "First Take" while scaling back some of his other required appearances. Smith will be less omnipresent on ESPN and will not be a regular on their premier NBA pregame show anymore. Smith was previously earning $12 million per year with the network.
Smith has been a fixture on ESPN’s top NBA pregame show, “Countdown,” which precedes The Finals. ESPN has signed a licensing agreement with TNT for the Charles Barkley-led “Inside The NBA.” Smith was supportive of the move.
Smith will be freed up to allow make more appearances on other platforms to talk politics and earn more money outside of ESPN. Smith has talked about the possibility of running for president.
Via Andrew Marchand/The Athletic
Re: Stephen A. Smith, ESPN Agree To Five-Year, $100M Deal; Will No Longer Be Fixture On 'Countdown'
Posted: Thu Mar 6, 2025 10:51 pm
by HotelVitale
That last sentence though…
Re: Stephen A. Smith, ESPN Agree To Five-Year, $100M Deal; Will No Longer Be Fixture On 'Countdown'
Posted: Thu Mar 6, 2025 11:21 pm
by Invictus88
HotelVitale wrote:That last sentence though…
Ask me 10 years ago and I would just rolled my eyes. But now who the heck knows what is happening...
I'm just glad he looks like he is slightly less tied to basketball coverage so I don't have to deal with seeing him as much.
Re: Stephen A. Smith, ESPN Agree To Five-Year, $100M Deal; Will No Longer Be Fixture On 'Countdown'
Posted: Thu Mar 6, 2025 11:56 pm
by Pickled Prunes
Invictus88 wrote:HotelVitale wrote:That last sentence though…
Ask me 10 years ago and I would just rolled my eyes. But now who the heck knows what is happening...
I'm just glad he looks like he is slightly less tied to basketball coverage so I don't have to deal with seeing him as much.
2nd that... seems nuts, and he's got no shot... which is why it will probably happen.
Re: Stephen A. Smith, ESPN Agree To Five-Year, $100M Deal; Will No Longer Be Fixture On 'Countdown'
Posted: Fri Mar 7, 2025 12:39 am
by Rek
Pickled Prunes wrote:Invictus88 wrote:HotelVitale wrote:That last sentence though…
Ask me 10 years ago and I would just rolled my eyes. But now who the heck knows what is happening...
I'm just glad he looks like he is slightly less tied to basketball coverage so I don't have to deal with seeing him as much.
2nd that... seems nuts, and he's got no shot... which is why it will probably happen.
That was my take as well... Such a bad take that it will almost certainly happen!
Re: Stephen A. Smith, ESPN Agree To Five-Year, $100M Deal; Will No Longer Be Fixture On 'Countdown'
Posted: Fri Mar 7, 2025 4:43 am
by deeps6x
Seriously? Screamin A Smith? Uggh. I never want to see or hear him ever again. Why does ESPN think people are interested in anything he has to scream at us?
Re: Stephen A. Smith, ESPN Agree To Five-Year, $100M Deal; Will No Longer Be Fixture On 'Countdown'
Posted: Fri Mar 7, 2025 11:34 am
by dubbmotta
deeps6x wrote:Seriously? Screamin A Smith? Uggh. I never want to see or hear him ever again. Why does ESPN think people are interested in anything he has to scream at us?
You’re going off feelings and ESPN is going off ratings. They don’t give a damn what you think they care about his show being #1 (first take) for almost a decade. You don’t pay Someone this much if it’s not brining in viewership.
Re: Stephen A. Smith, ESPN Agree To Five-Year, $100M Deal; Will No Longer Be Fixture On 'Countdown'
Posted: Fri Mar 7, 2025 4:48 pm
by TheCage4
Well I guess I'm still not watching ESPN for the next 5 years.