Stephen A. Smith May Become Richest On-Air ESPN Talent, Rumored To Make Up To $10 Mill Per Year

Stephen A. Smith May Become Richest On-Air ESPN Talent, Rumored To Make Up To $10 Mill Per Year

Sports journalist Stephen A. Smith is reportedly in talks to become the wealthiest on-air personality for ESPN by potentially boosting his salary to $10 million per year, according to reports. Smith’s deal with ESPN is set to expire in 2021, so negotiations to keep him with the company are set for huge jump for an extension.

The “First Take” personality and syndicated talk show host could reportedly see a raise in the $8 million-to-$10 million range, according to the New York Post.

By comparison, Mike Greenberg is paid $6.5 million to host “Get Up!,” which is the network’s highest publicly known salary. PTI’s Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser are believed to be in Greenberg’s salary range.

A source says,

Smith is well-positioned, with a usual suspect in Fox Sports, where his old contrarian, Skip Bayless, resides, and potential newbies, such as DAZN or Amazon or Apple, as possible landing spots or leverage.

Smith, 51, has re-established himself as the face of the network as he has been roasted on “Saturday Night Live” and turned into the biggest non-athlete celebrity with the sports television channel. He has been a mainstay on First Take for seven years, working with Fox Sports’ Skip Bayless from 2012-16.