Stephen A. said: Smith, the ESPN host, said talks about a contract renewal with the Disney-owned sports outlet have been “constructive,” but he strongly denied reports that the contract renewal could be worth $120 million.
The popular commentator, who has a widespread presence across ESPN and also has ambitions to explore new frontiers such as late-night talk across Disney World, made the comments after calling in to Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo's Daily Show on SiriusXM. Russo is a weekly guest on the ESPN show hosted by Smith Take first.
He added: “The talks were constructive and useful, but we have not reached an agreement yet, and until that comes, for me, I have six months or so to do the best job I can do.” Smith said. His contract is officially scheduled to expire on June 30.
After being teased by Rousseau over the contract's staggering value, Smith dismissed a report earlier this month The athlete He pegged it at $120 million, and went on to briefly explain his approach to dealmaking.
“I can assure you it's not for $120 million. That's a lie. That's not true,” he said. “Anyone who tells you that money doesn't matter is lying, so I won't insult you or the intelligence of your audience by saying such a thing. Money is important but money is there. This is not the case. ESPN and I don't have a problem with money. For me personally, there are a lot of other things I want to do and I want the freedom to do so. We live in a different world, and being able to diversify your portfolio and do things outside of that job you might have is very important to me. Because this is important to me, this is the thing we have to work on.”
Smith said the two sides were “receptive” to each other. “I hope we can come to an agreement and I will be there for years to come, and if it doesn't work out it won't work out.”
In addition to hosting Take first Smith appears as an analyst across multiple daytime slots and platforms, and has a weekly podcast outside of ESPN sponsorship that goes beyond sports topics. He also had a recurring acting role on the long-running ABC television series General HospitalA sign of his interest in being present in many corners of the Disney empire.
The talks are taking place at a time when Disney and ESPN have been focusing their talent spending on a much smaller roster of marquee names. After layoffs in 2022 and 2023 saw some familiar faces leave the network, the company has made significant investments in licensing The Pat McAfee Show to YouTube and has also expressed optimism about Smith being re-promoted.
Disney and ESPN face a major crossroads in 2025 as they prepare to launch a standalone streaming version of ESPN.
