ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith makes as much money per year as several of the NBA and NFL stars he is paid to cover.
A report from The Athletic on Wednesday revealed Smith’s yearly salary.
The 57-year-old is bringing in nearly $40 million per year, according to the report. That number includes his five-year, $105 million deal with ESPN ($21 million average), his three-year, $36 million deal with SiriusXM ($12 million average) and the revenue he generates from his YouTube channel and podcast.
For comparison, NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is set to make $38,333,050 this upcoming season.
Two of the top receivers in the NFL in Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb will make $35 million and $34 million, respectively this year.
While Smith’s salary is obviously very high, he is also an incredibly hard worker who is regarded as one of the most influential voices in sports.
In addition to being the star and executive producer of ESPN First Take, he also appears on ESPN NBA Countdown and SportsCenter regularly.
The Stephen A. Smith Show, where Smith discusses sports, politics and more, has 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube.
According to the report from The Athletic, Smith hopes to one day have as big of a voice in politics as he does in sports.
As part of that, on Wednesday, Smith’s new show Straight Shooter with Stephen A. is debuting on SiriusXM. It will focus on politics and culture and include big-name guests, live listener calls, and unfiltered commentary, according to a release.
Stephen A. Smith is always busy with ESPN, his podcast and on SiriusXM and he is paid very well for his hard work.