Stephen A. Smith reportedly consents to stick at ESPN with five-year, $100 million deal

Stephen A. Smith has been a fixture at ESPN for 20 years. (Picture via Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Photographs)ESPN has reportedly secured every other contract with one in all its greatest faces. The community has agreed to a five-year care for Stephen A. Smith this is reportedly price no less than $100 million, in line with The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.As a part of the deal, the reporter and analyst will focal point his time on “First Take,” ESPN’s in style morning program, however will cut back his time on different displays at the community. Smith has been at the community for 20 years, and changed into an everlasting fixture on First Absorb 2012.Consistent with Marchand, Smith will not be an ordinary on ESPN’s NBA pregame display anymore, however may just nonetheless make appearances on Monday Evening Soccer or different primetime occasions at the community.ESPN can pay Smith $20 million in line with yr beneath the brand new deal; Smith’s earlier care for the community gave him $12 million in line with yr.The colossal six-figure deal is an anomaly within the trade, hanging Smith in equivalent corporate with the high-profile athletes he covers. To position issues in point of view, Smith will earn more money every year than key NBA gamers like Klay Thompson, D’Angelo Russell and Chris Paul beneath the brand new contract. Smith’s deal is even just like the then-historic contract that Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (no relation) signed two years in the past.However ESPN is keen to guess on Smith, who has change into probably the most community’s maximum recognizable faces. His brash takes, cheeky catchphrases and powerful hatred for the Dallas Cowboys has made Smith a singular determine within the sports activities international.Past that, via scaling again his ESPN appearances, Smith can have the loose time to look on different platforms. Consistent with Marchand, the power to chop down on his appearances additionally permits Smith to make money out of doors of ESPN, and to additionally communicate extra about politics on different displays. Smith has been an increasing number of vocal about politics, even declaring his ambitions for a presidential run in 2028.