Stephen A. Smith will continue to be ESPN’s staple — and make a lot of money while doing so.
The longtime reporter and analyst has agreed to a five-year extension worth at least $100 million, according to The Athletic.
Smith has been a longtime host of “First Take,” which will continue to be his primary duty with the network, the report said.
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The report also stated that he will make fewer other appearances, which will give him more rein on his own podcast. There, he further dives into other topics, including plenty of politics.
Smith has been a regular on NBA programming with the network, but The Athletic says that will no longer be the case.
The 57-year-old has also hinted at a political run. In an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Wednesday, the sports journalist initially claimed that he “doesn’t want” the position, but he then made a comment that seemed to strongly hint at the possibility of a presidential run.
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“And 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,” he said.
The “I approve this message” comment clearly didn’t get by Fallon, who exclaimed, “Oh, my God!” in response.
Smith was critical of former President Joe Biden but voiced support for former Vice President Kamala Harris during the election cycle. A critic of President Donald Trump, he has regularly criticized the Democratic Party and their messaging ahead of the election as well as after Trump won.
The roughly $20 million annual salary is a huge raise for Smith, who had been making $12 million per year, per The Athletic.
Smith previously wrote for the New York Daily News and The Philadelphia Inquirer, and even did local radio in both New York and Los Angeles for ESPN.
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