ESPN star Stephen A. Smith has agreed to a new five-year contract with the network worth at least $100 million, The New York Times reported. Under the deal, Smith will continue hosting his daily morning show First Take, but he won’t be as active on other network programs, including the NBA pregame show Countdown. The move frees Smith, 57, to discuss politics on other platforms and make more money outside of ESPN, where he previously made $12 million annually. His podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show, regularly discusses news and current affairs, and during the 2024 presidential election his political takes began to go viral. Since then, he’s been a regular guest on political shows, and his name has even been floated as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate. Smith has said he would consider running if Democrats didn’t have anyone better, but that it would be “embarrassing” for the party if that were the case.
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