Pat McAfee and ESPN are in negotiations for a new contract that could pay him between $60 million and $65 million per year, more than double his current compensation of nearly $30 million annually, according to The Athletic.
The proposed deal is not finalized and could include an expanded role for McAfee in ESPN’s NFL coverage. He currently has two years remaining on his existing deal, which covers his daily show, College GameDay appearances, and other ESPN projects. His current arrangement is structured differently from most talent contracts, combining a production deal for his show — which he owns and operates — with separate talent agreements, meaning he also covers production costs and contributor salaries out of his compensation.
Negotiations are being handled by TKO and WME executives Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro. Their initial proposal sought $100 million per year before discussions settled into the current $60-65 million range. ESPN declined to comment.
On the WWE side, McAfee was revealed as Randy Orton’s mystery phone caller on the April 3 episode of SmackDown following an attack on WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. McAfee subsequently promised on social media that if Orton did not win at WrestleMania 42, he would never appear on wrestling television again. Rhodes retained the title, leaving the future of McAfee’s WWE involvement uncertain.