Stephen A. Smith has essentially served as the face of ESPN for over a decade thanks to the success of First Take. As his current contract is soon coming to an end, he has made it very clear that he wants to be paid accordingly.
Smith is in the final year of his deal at ESPN, which officially ends in July 2025. The company has reportedly offered him a five-year deal worth $18 million annually. Smith has since countered this offer, seeking a deal around $25 million.
Smith sees the value he brings to the network and isn’t willing to settle, even if that means seeking other opportunities outside of ESPN.
“I expect to get paid, and I’m not apologizing for that to anybody,” Smith said during an interview with Mike McCarthy of Front Office Sports at their recent Tuned In event, transcribed by Barrett Sports Media. “I’m going to work my tail off. I’m striving to be the best that I can be or put in the hours to produce results to the best of my ability, and those results are what I’m going to look at to define my worth.
“If it comes to a decision where I have to move on, I prepared myself mentally and emotionally to be able to do that. I don’t want it to come to that because I am very happy at ESPN doing what I do.”
Is Stephen A. really willing to leave ESPN if they don’t match the number that he desires at the negotiation table? Only time will tell, but that possibility seems unlikely given the creative control Smith has there.
On top of his duties on First Take, Smith also serves as a fixture on the network’s NBA studio show, NBA Countdown. He expressed his desire to also serve on the cast of Monday Night Countdown, a possibility ESPN president of content Burke Magnus said is on the table.
“It’s something that I want to do because I’ve been blessed and fortunate to be No. 1. Last I checked, the No. 1 sports brand is the NFL. So why shouldn’t the No. 1 guy on the air be a part of the No. 1 property?” asked Smith. “That’s how I view it, especially since I grew up idolizing Howard Cosell, thinking about him and what he brought to the table in terms of his diction, his cadence, his tenor, his candor, his willingness to tackle issues that most individuals in the industry weren’t willing to tackle at that particular moment in time.”
Smith has big career plans, at ESPN and beyond. But first, he and the company will need to figure out the financials to keep him around.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.