Report: Stephen A. Smith could sign $100 million deal with ESPN

Stephen A. Smith could reportedly sign a $100 million deal with ESPN, according to Mike McCarthy of Front Office Sports.

Arguably the face of the network, star of First Take and numerous ESPN programming, Smith could hit free agency or sign the biggest deal in the company’s history. As McCarthy pointed out, Smith’s been a company man and has the ratings and star power to back it up.

A new contract could make him a higher paid star than ESPN’s Monday Night Football star duo.

“Put it all together, and the stars are aligning for Smith to possibly become ESPN’s first $100 million talent,” McCarthy wrote for FOS. “Sources have relayed that his new compensation could eventually come in between $20 million and $25 million per year over five years, compared to five years, $90 million for (Troy) Aikman, five years, $85 million for (Pat) McAfee and five years, $75 million for (Joe) Buck.”

But how does one like Smith get to that point? Especially when announcers are usually compensated more?

“On the other hand, studio talents are traditionally far less compensated than the announcers calling the biggest NFL games like Aikman and Buck,” McCarthy wrote. “Maybe that’s why I keep hearing Smith wants to cover the NFL under his new deal, à la his idol Howard Cosell. Getting his mitts on the NFL would make him even more valuable to ESPN.”

McCarthy also pointed out Smith could be even more valuable to ESPN than Pat McAfee, who’s his own star with the network.

However, McAfee owns his show and appears on ESPN programming, such as College GameDay.

“Smith’s team-player approach contrasts with the occasional bad-boy antics of McAfee, who likes to needle his bosses and test the bounds of their authority,” McCarthy wrote. “As one top TV insider told FOS on the condition of anonymity: ‘I’ve got to give Stephen A. credit. He’s used that McAfee is such a bad team player to his own advantage. He brings on only ESPN people; McAfee brings on Shams [Charania]. That’s the kind of thing Stephen A. Smith would never do.

“He lets Pat McAfee frustrate the ESPN executives so much, they’re like, ‘F*** it. Stephen A. is a good team player.’”

So will this lead to Smith getting into nine figures in terms of a contract? Regardless if it’s his own merit, McAfee, his willingness to do what it takes or a combination, Smith is bound for a huge payday.

It’d be hard to imagine, at this point, that Smith will go independent or sign with another network.