It was only a matter of time.
Since his public divorce from Stephen A. Smith and being ousted from ESPN’s First Take, Max Kellerman’s future at The Worldwide Leader has been up in the air.
Now, Kellerman’s afternoon show, This Just In, appears to be the most likely domino to fall, as ESPN paves the way for the addition of The Pat McAfee Show. According to Front Office Sports, Kellerman’s weekly afternoon program is likely to be canceled, as the network’s cost-cutting measures—despite acquiring McAfee’s show—continue.
But that possible change is one of many The Worldwide Leader is considering, as one source told FOS that ESPN is looking to trim up to $30 million in salary by the end of June. Those working on NFL and NBA coverage will be hardest hit, although the talent outside those two sports will be impacted.
According to Andrew Marchand, ESPN feels the ratings for The Pat McAfee Show will be so much higher than what they have right now—including Kellerman’s afternoon show—that they’ll be able to make up for the lucrative eight-figure contract that McAfee has already signed.
“From ESPN’s point of view, though, they already have McAfee for [College] GameDay. They’ve worked with him with Peyton’s [Manning] company, Omaha Productions on the ManningCast type show for college football,” Marchand said recently on The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast. “They feel confident that it’s gonna work out well. The show, they said, is going to be the same, except he’s going to swear less or at least use the f-word less.”
While ESPN is set to cancel his TV show, Kellerman’s remaining future at the company is anyone’s guess. In addition to his weekday show, Kellerman also hosts a morning radio show and boxing show for the network. And as Front Office Sports pointed out, this possible change is one of many that ESPN is considering, though they will continue to cut a considerable amount in salary, even after acquiring The Pat McAfee Show.
It was just a few years ago that This Just In took over the time slot previously occupied by Jalen & Jacoby and Highly Questionable. The abridged, televised version of Jalen & Jacoby was moved to ESPN2, and Highly Questionable was canceled. Now, McAfee will take over that same time slot and according to Marchand, ESPN is looking to have his show on linear TV from 12-3 p.m. ET.
Unfortunately, it looks like Kellerman, who has been with the network since 2016, and his show will ultimately pay the price for McAfee’s arrival.
[Front Office Sports, The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast]
