Pat McAfee is taking his show to ESPN.
As seen in the video below, McAfee announced today that The Pat McAfee Show is headed to ESPN this fall. The weekly three-hour show will air live on ESPN, ESPN+ and the ESPN YouTube channel at the same time. It was indicated that the ESPN weekday will begin with Get Up at 8am, then go to First Take at 10am, and then The Pat McAfee Show at 12 noon. McAfee’s show currently airs from 12-3pm ET each day, Monday – Friday.
McAfee will earn more than $10 million per year from ESPN, according to Joe Pompliano. It was recently reported that McAfee was in talks with potential partners, and expected to sign with ESPN. The exact amount of money McAfee is earning in the new deal is not yet known, but it was expected to be in the eight-figures-per-year range, and it was said that the money may be less than the $30 million-plus-per-year FanDuel deal he is walking away from. McAfee is currently in the second year of his four year, $120+ million FanDuel deal.
McAfee revealed that his “#UpToSomethingSZN” endd with 4 significant offers from 4 great platforms/networks, represented by fantastic human beings who he is honored to have talked with. McAfee noted that he represented himself in the talks, and discovered that network executives view his show as the future of daily sports talk, and he sees that as a really cool thing. McAfee said a few years back he couldn’t even get a meeting with the network executives but now they see his show as “the tip of the spear” of what sports media needs to be in its next chapter.
McAfee reiterated that nothing will change with the actual content of the show. He said one of the first points of all negotiations was that he did not want to “change a damn thing.” McAfee said he still has full creative control over the show as it didn’t make much sens for ESPN to license the show and then change it, or for him to take his show somewhere and change it. McAfee said he had talks with ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro about what the network could look like in the future. He added that The Pat McAfee Show will not lose its soul, they will feature all the same segments, with just a bit more reach and access that comes with partnering with the worldwide leader in sports.
McAfee also thanked Pitaro, ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus, and Disney CEO Bob Iger, for blessing the show with the opportunity to be a part of the next chapter of the ESPN family. McAfee said they will not take the opportunity lightly, and will work their asses off to make sure this is a success, not only because of the faith that Pitaro, Magnus and Iger have in them, but so that shows like The Pat McAfee Show can see the same opportunities in the future. It was said that ESPN will still have serious debates and riveting analysis, but all parties involved agrees that the time has come for a bunch of sports stooges in a Thunderdome in Indiana to sprinkle in some fun and celebration of sport as well.
McAfee also insisted that the show would remain on YouTube. He said he would not agree to a deal if he couldn’t continue to hang out with the YouTube community. The video below included previous comments about how the show will always remain free on YouTube, and always exist on YouTube. This was a sticking point in talks with some of the networks. McAfee joked that the show will now be on in every airport, cafe, restaurant and house that comes with the incomparable power of ESPN and out of respect for that, they won’t be saying “fuck” nearly as much, but every other word is good to go.
McAfee gave major credit to his fans and his crew. He said he’s honored that what was created by his friends, fans and himself, has been studied, accepted and seemingly appreciated by these multi-billion dollar networks. He promised to provide more answers soon, and called on everyone to continue to do “some historic shit together” this fall, and to change the game forever. McAfee reiterated how grateful he is and how this couldn’t happen without his fans and crew.
McAfee, who recently became a father, has been on hiatus from his full-time WWE SmackDown commentary role since being hired for ESPN College GameDay last September, but he’s made surprise appearances at the 2023 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 39, where he defeated The Miz in an impromptu match on Night 1. McAfee addressed his WWE future back in March, as noted here.
It remains to be seen what the new ESPN deal means for McAfee’s WWE future. WWE announced on July 7, 2022 that McAfee signed a multi-year contract extension.
You can see McAfee’s full video below.
UPDATE: The full press release from ESPN can be seen below, along with the aforementioned video.
Pat McAfee Expands His Multiplatform ESPN Role as The Pat McAfee Show Moves to ESPN This Fall
* The Pat McAfee Show will air live weekdays on ESPN, the ESPN YouTube Channel, the ESPN App and ESPN+
* McAfee will continue his analyst role on ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot, and hosting alternate presentations of college football telecasts
Former NFL player and one of the most successful voices in media, Pat McAfee is expanding his multiplatform ESPN role as part of a new multi-year agreement, officially announced this afternoon at The Walt Disney Company’s Advertising Sales Upfront presentation in New York.
The Pat McAfee Show, the highly successful and innovative weekday sports talk and discussion program, will move to ESPN this fall. In addition to hosting the daily show, McAfee will contribute to ESPN digital and social platforms. He will also continue his college football analyst role on ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot, and host alternate presentations of ESPN college football telecasts.
The Pat McAfee Show, featuring McAfee and an ensemble of talented voices, will continue to deliver one-of-a-kind opinions, interviews and more when it moves to ESPN platforms this fall. The program will air live weekdays on ESPN, the ESPN YouTube Channel, the ESPN App and ESPN+. Details about ESPN’s new weekday afternoon schedule, which will continue to include SportsCenter, will be announced prior to The Pat McAfee Show launch this fall.
“Pat is a proven talent. He and his team have built The Pat McAfee Show into one of the most engaging programs in sports and all of media,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. “It’s a destination for athlete interviews and breaking news, and the centerpiece of a growing community of sports fans. We’re honored to bring Pat and the show to ESPN through a multifaceted, multiplatform approach.”
McAfee, the retired NFL All-Pro punter, has blazed a highly unique path to media stardom. The son of a truck driver – described as a “common man who has had the incredibly fortunate experience of living an extremely uncommon professional life,” McAfee originally launched his daily show in 2019. The Pat McAfee Show informs and entertains fans with humor, insight and perspective, while often breaking news and generating some of the most influential conversations in sports, including with many of the biggest names in sports.
In addition to McAfee himself, The Pat McAfee Show and its ancillary podcasts – the sports betting-themed Hammer Dahn and That’s Hockey Talk – feature former NFL linebacker and co-host A.J. Hawk, Evan Foxy, Zito Perez, Boston Connor Campbell, Ty Schmit, Tone Digs, Frank Maraldo, CFO Phil Mains, Casey Tok, Matt Bruce Brahn, Michael Dirdy Girdy, AQ Shipley, Bailey Bill McComas, Mitt McMahon, Coach Chuck Pagano, Aaron Rodgers, Darius Butler and Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones, among others.
“We are extremely honored that ESPN is blessing us with this opportunity to be a part of the next chapter of the ESPN family. We do not take that lightly and are going to work hard to make sure this is a success,” said McAfee. “All parties involved agree the time has come for a bunch of sports stooges in a Thunderdome in Indiana to sprinkle in some fun and celebration of sport as well.”
Beyond the weekday show, McAfee will continue to be an integral voice in ESPN’s college football presentation during the upcoming season. In 2022, he was named a full-time analyst on ESPN’s College GameDay, helping lead college football’s premier pregame show to its most-viewed regular season ever. The Pat McAfee Show team also hosted multiple college football alternate telecasts last season – including editions for the College Football Playoff Semifinals and National Championship Game – in collaboration with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. In all, McAfee’s work with ESPN goes back to 2019 when he originally served as an analyst for Thursday night college football games and regularly appeared on Get Up.
About Pat McAfee
A college football All-American at West Virginia and All-Pro NFL punter with the Indianapolis Colts, McAfee has established himself as one of the most entertaining figures in sports media since retiring from football. In addition to hosting The Pat McAfee Show, McAfee has worked for a variety of media companies in various roles, spanning Wrestlemania to ESPN.McAfee was selected by the Colts in the 2009 NFL Draft following his college career at West Virginia as a kicker and punter. A four-year starter (2005-08), McAfee finished with 384 points and accumulated more than 5,500 punting yards for the Mountaineers. He was named an All-American his senior year and finished his collegiate career as the all-time scoring leader at WVU. During his nine NFL seasons, McAfee was one of the league’s best punters. He was named an All-Pro (2014), a Pro Bowler (2014, 2016) and nominated for the NFL Hall of Fame (2022). A native of Plum, Pa., outside Pittsburgh, McAfee retired after the 2016 NFL season.
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