Stephen A. Smith is unquestionably the face of ESPN, and if there was ever any doubt his latest contract says otherwise. The legendary analyst who got his start as a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer recently signed a network record five-year, $100 million extension that will pay him $20 millions annually. No matter what you may think of Smith, who’s got the No. 1 morning show in “First Take” and also makes appearances across the entire network, his story is amazing.
“I’m happy and honored to remain a member of the Disney/ESPN family for, at least, the next five years,” the Queens, New York, native said in a statement Friday.
The deal is a testament to Smith’s hard work over the course of his career and the diligence in perfecting his craft.
Smith Used His Love For Sports To Climb The Ladder
Smith attended Winston-Salem State University, an HBCU in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. There he played college basketball for the legendary head coach Clarence “Big House” Gaines, and although his career was cut short due to injury he didn’t let that deter him from his goals.
Upon graduation Smith began his career in print media with the likes of the Winston-Salem Journal, Greensboro News and Record and New York Daily News. His big break came when he was hired as a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer covering the Sixers. From 1994 till 2007 Smith was the paper’s NBA columnist and general sports columnist covering all sports.
Smith also dabbled in many other areas of the sports realm including television and radio. In 2012, Smith received the biggest break of his career when he signed on with then-partner Skip Bayless as a daily co-host of “First Take.” Smith landed his first big deal in 2014 when the network signed him to a multi-year deal paying him $3 million annually.
Upon Bayless’s departure in 2016, ESPN upped Smith’s pay to a reported $8 million to $12 million annually. That is until the aforementioned $20 million per year deal he just signed. Smith’s feel-good story is one of perseverance and persistence.
Smith A Presidential Candidate?
Not only is Smith the biggest name in television sports media, he’s also entrenched himself firmly in the political world. With a guest spot on various CNN shows as well as regular appearances on Fox News, Smith’s popularity has seemingly increased to the point where he’s oddly being ballyhooed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.
Despite a January poll that showed him having the backing of 2 percent of the Democrats, Smith is happy where he is and mentioned so during a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
“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,” he said. “They’ve come to me … and so, I mean, I did not ask for this. I don’t want this. I happen to have a very, very, very good life, very good job. I’m good, very good.”
No matter whether your opinion of Smith is good or bad, one thing for sure and two things for certain is he definitely moves the meter.
