ESPN and sports commentator Stephen A. Smith are in negotiations for a historic contract that could reach the mark of US$120 million (about R$720 million) for six years. The information is from the website The Athletic.
If completed, the agreement will represent a payment of almost US$20 million (around R$120 million) per year, setting a new record for an ESPN presenter without being tied to a licensing agreement.
Currently, Smith receives US$12 million (about R$72 million) per year at ESPN, divided between a salary of US$8 million and US$4 million through his production company. Additionally, he has multimillion-dollar deals related to sports betting.
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The new contract will include payments from ESPN, plus small contributions from Disney Entertainment and a betting company, presumably ESPN BET.
If the deal goes through, Smith will become one of the highest-paid presenters in ESPN history, surpassing the contracts of other prominent names at the network.
Pat McAfee currently receives more than $17 million a year to license his daily show, while “Monday Night Football” commentators Troy Aikman and Joe Buck have salaries of $18 million and $15 million, respectively.
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Tom Brady currently holds the title for the highest salary on American TV, receiving $37.5 million per season to commentate NFL games on Fox.
