Stephen A. Smith’s name has long been tied to loud takes and big ratings, and now his paycheck matches the noise. Smith is now earning nearly $40 million a year via his work across ESPN, YouTube, and now SiriusXM. On Wednesday, September 17, Smith will launch a two-hour weekly political show on SiriusXM’s POTUS channel, a move that takes his voice out of pure sports and into national debate. That shift comes with serious money and new audience reach.
The cash math is plain on paper and has been widely reported. Sources tell The Athletic that Smith’s ESPN deal is a five-year, $105 million agreement, while his SiriusXM deal runs three years for $36 million, and those two contracts plus YouTube and podcast revenue push him toward a near $40 million yearly haul. The Associated Press reported the ESPN extension at about $100 million, which made Stephen A. Smith ESPN’s highest paid talent, and he has told audiences he plans to keep growing his platform.
“I’ve got a lot of things that I want to achieve and accomplish in my life that extend beyond this show and beyond the world of sports,” he said in a recent network appearance.
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The salary headlines crystallized overnight after industry feeds shared the Athletic breakdown and social accounts amplified the numbers. Smith’s SiriusXM launch, “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.,” marks his formal push into politics while he remains a fixture on ESPN’s First Take.
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There is a clear strategy behind the numbers. Reporting on Stephen A. Smith’s shift notes that he wants a political platform comparable to his sports influence and that he already mixes political commentary into his shows and digital content. Already seen as one of the biggest sports commentators in the world, Smith clearly wants more, and sees himself as a overarching figure that can contribute to the country’s political discourse as well.
On air he has framed the move plainly, saying “Sports is my lane. I’m venturing into politics. Politics is your lane.” Networks are willing to pay for that cross over power because he draws viewers and advertisers, and comparisons to top media earners like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning underline how media packages have become big business. Stephen A. Smith boasts of 12 million followers across his social media, and while he only recently claimed that he has no interest in formally entering politics, he has “left the door open,” per the Washington Journal.
Hence, the latest move may not be about salary alone. After all, he is already rumored to be worth close to $100 million, and this latest move might as well one day culminate in him actually becoming a politician in some capacity. Regardless, the massive pay package and political pivot stirred immediate reaction online, and fans on the NBA Central post wasted little time weighing in.
Stephen A. Smith’s pay earns surprise from fans
Many fans framed Stephen A. Smith’s payout as a victory lap in a long public feud with NBA stars and pundits, and one popular take pointed to the financial scoreboard. “He might be earning more than LeBron James next season so who really won the beef?” the comment read, and it leaned on salary context. Stephen A. Smith’s combined reported earnings from ESPN and SiriusXM total roughly $33 million per year before YouTube and podcast revenue, while top NBA salaries and endorsements keep LeBron near the mid forty million range, so the comparison sparked debate about media versus on court pay.
James might be one of the NBA GOATs. However, his earnings do not exceed Stephen A. Smith’s who has amassed his own fortune doing what he does best.
Supporters used revenue impact as a defense of the price tag and made the business case for the investment. “And he’s worth every penny, if not more. This man generates billions in revenue,” one reply insisted, and that argument points to measurable factors. First Take remains a top rated debate show, Smith’s multi platform presence drives ad dollars and subscriptions, and networks value the audience funnel his brand creates when selling advertising and sponsorships. There is no other reason why platforms such as ESPN will have no qualms dishing out the big bucks.
Critics questioned both the nature of Smith’s content and the corporate choices behind big contracts. “40 million just to hate is wild,” and “One thing Disney is good at is wasting ungodly amounts of money on things that are obviously a waste to the average human.” Again, over the years, Smith’s takes have been incredibly bold.
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These include a portfolio a opinions. From choosing Jayson Tatum over Kevin Durant, calling Donovan Mitchell the Utah Jazz’s best player ever, or his preference of Jahlil Okafor over Karl-Anthony Towns, Smith knows how to attract attention and regular hate, and that has kept him relevant for the years.
Other skeptics focused on ratings metrics and workload. “Lol and yet the ratings continue to dwindle,” a commenter wrote, pointing to long term declines in linear viewership despite periodic spikes for marquee debates. And defenders argued his centrality to ESPN programming makes him indispensable. “Easy when you are doing all the heavy lifting at ESPN,” read another reply, noting Smith’s regular appearances across flagship shows and his role in shaping daily sports conversation that remains monetizable for the network.