Major Update On Pat McAfee's Future
Latest on WWE regular Pat McAfee - and his new multi-million dollar media contract.
Former WWE SmackDown commentator and regular pro wrestling moonlighter Pat McAfee is taking his talents to ESPN.
The New York Post reported last week that McAfee was on the deal of signing a multi-year deal to bring his daily show to the network, thus ending a lucrative $120 million partnership with FanDuel. This is now official, as confirmed by the Post, who state that Pat has agreed on a new eight-figure deal.
McAfee, 36, confirmed the news during yesterday's Disney media upfront.
There is currently no word on what this means for Pat's WWE future. The former NFL punter last appeared for the promotion at WrestleMania 39, where he fought The Miz. September 2022 saw him give up his regular seat as SmackDown's colour commentator to join ESPN's College GameDay broadcast team.
ESPN has circulated the following press release on McAfee:-
Pat McAfee Expands His Multiplatform ESPN Role as The Pat McAfee Show Moves to ESPN
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.
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.
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.