How much ESPN will pay Stephen A. Smith as new | Sports News

Stephen A. Smith, a renowned TV personality, has secured an $8 million pay rise after agreeing to new terms with ESPN.

The Athletic reports that Smith has agreed to a new five-year contract worth $100 million with ESPN, a significant increase from his previous annual salary of $12 million.

Despite the pay hike, Smith will reportedly appear less frequently on ESPN, allowing him to devote more time to political commentary.

While he will continue his role on ‘First Take’, his appearances on ESPN’s NBA pregame show will be reduced.

This is part of several changes within the network, including the announcement that ‘Around the Horn’ will broadcast its final episode on May 23.

Since its inception, over 4,900 episodes have been produced. However, ESPN has decided to close this chapter.

“Around the Horn has had a remarkable run of more than two decades,” said David Roberts, ESPN Executive Vice President, Executive Editor, Sports News and Entertainment. “That kind of longevity in media is incredibly rare.

“We look forward to celebrating the show’s many accomplishments before the final sign-off in May. Beyond Tony (Reali) and the ensemble of on-air contributors, we are particularly grateful to the production team led by Erik Rydholm and Aaron Solomon, who have been instrumental in ATH’s consistent success since the very beginning.”

ESPN has yet to reveal a long-term replacement for ATH, which broadcasts weekdays at 5 p.m. With less of Smith on the network and a popular time slot becoming available, it presents a significant opportunity for ESPN to experiment with something new.

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Smith has also been branching out, with the well-known ESPN host becoming increasingly outspoken about politics in recent years. Smith is a supporter of the Democratic Party and has been vocal about U.S. President Donald Trump, while also expressing his views on former vice president Kamala Harris.

The TV star has also suggested that the Democrats are “lost” and was rumored to be considering a run for the Democratic nomination in 2028.

However, during an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jimmy Fallon, he stated that he’s content with his life as it is. “The Democrat Party, they lost,” Smith said.

“They had a bad few months. We all know this. And even though there’s a lot of qualified Democrats all over the country from a local perspective – governors, mayors, stuff like that – there’s no real national voice.

“They’ve come to me,” he revealed. “I did not ask for this. I don’t want to do this. I happen to have a very, very, very good life. A very good job. I’m good,” Smith confided to Fallon, referencing the recent polling data.

Smith added: “I’m saying, wait a minute now, I don’t want to do this. But the fact that they’re talking about me this way, I must say, I approve this message.”