ESPN announced the multi -year agreement signed by Stephen A. Smith on Friday, while the commentator’s agent trivialized speculation that his client can run for president.
“Stephen A. works incredibly hard to raise the sports conversation day-in and day and we are grateful that he will stay on ESPN,” said ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro. “He is a difference manufacturer, and the fans are imprisoned by his deep sports knowledge, strong opinions and unthinkable feeling.”
Athletic first reported on Thursday that the commentator and the producer’s new five -year agreement is worth at least $ 100 million, and that it will free Smith to spend more time talking about politics.
Smith’s agent, President and COO Mark Shapiro, said at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on Friday that the 57-year-old “will not go for president,” according to Sportico.
There has recently been speculation that Smith may be considering a presidential campaign for 2028, but he trivialized that opportunity earlier this week.
“Although there are many qualified Democrats all over the country from a local perspective – governors, mayors, such things – there is no real national voice,” he said at the “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.”
“They have come to me … and so, I mean, I didn’t ask for this. I don’t want this. I happen to have a very, very, very good life, very good job. I am good, very good.”
A survey in January of political votes found that Smith had a potential support from 2 percent of Democrats. It put him seventh and well behind the leaders Kamala Harris (33 percent), Pete Buttigieg (9 percent) and Gavin Newsom (7 percent).
At the moment, Smith will stick to discussing politics while resuming his commitment to ESPN, which he first joined in 2003. Including his presented role in the network’s morning debate “First Take”, Smith has contributed to many studio and radio programming in the network. Front Office Sports reported that Smith will also have an opportunity to contribute to “Monday night football” broadcasts.
“I am happy and honored to remain a member of the Disney/ESPN family for, at least for the next five years,” Smith said in a statement. “There are only bigger and bigger things forward. It starts by continuing to post that work. See soon.”
Smith, whose previous contract earned him $ 12 million a year, according to Athletic, figures that appear less often on ESPN’s NBA pre -play and programming after the game. From 2025-26, ESPN will be broadcast “inside the NBA” with Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith thanks to a license agreement with TNT, which lost its NBA TV package in recent negotiations.
-Field level media
