Pat McAfee may soon be getting a raise that would make even some NBA stars take notice.
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, ESPN and McAfee’s representatives are discussing a contract extension that could pay the popular host between $60 million and $65 million annually. If completed, the agreement would likely make McAfee the highest-paid personality in sports media history.
McAfee still has two years remaining on his current arrangement with ESPN, a deal reportedly worth roughly $30 million per year when combining licensing rights for The Pat McAfee Show and his separate work on College GameDay and other network appearances.
Front Office Sports previously reported that the two sides had entered early extension talks.
As with his current setup, any new deal would reportedly be structured as a production agreement rather than a traditional talent contract. McAfee retains ownership of The Pat McAfee Show, pays his own employees and contributors, and handles production costs, meaning the headline figures don’t entirely reflect his personal earnings.
The Athletic reported that McAfee’s representatives, TKO executives Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro, opened negotiations with an ambitious asking price of $100 million per year.
ESPN apparently sees enough value to keep talking.
And at $60 million-plus annually, McAfee would be earning more than most head coaches, general managers and even a fair number of NBA players.
McAfee has become one of the network’s most visible personalities since arriving in 2023, bringing a large built-in audience and an unconventional style that has generated both strong ratings and occasional controversy. His daily show airs on ESPN from noon to 2 p.m. ET, with a third hour streamed on YouTube.
The report also noted that ESPN could expand McAfee’s responsibilities under a new agreement, potentially giving him a larger role in NFL coverage.
If the extension gets finalized, it would mark something of a rarity in McAfee’s career. Since retiring from the NFL in 2017, he has bounced between multiple platforms and partners, including Barstool Sports, WWE, DAZN, SiriusXM, Westwood One and FanDuel before ultimately landing at ESPN.
Now, ESPN may be preparing to make sure he stays put for a long time.
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