Former NFL punter Pat McAfee earned about $15 million during his NFL career. Since retiring, he’s inked a four-year, $120 million deal with FanDuel and, earlier this year, a five-year contract with ESPN worth $85 million. It turns out some of that money is going toward getting guests for The Pat McAfee Show.
The New York Post discovered the show has paid seven figures to secure quarterback Aaron Rodgers as a guest during “Aaron Rodgers Tuesdays.” McAfee told The New York Post directly: “Aaron has made over $1,000,000 with us, for sure.”
Other sources have also said that Alabama coach Nick Saban earns seven figures for his regular “Nick Saban Thursdays” appearances.
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McAfee has only been with ESPN for about five months, but he’s quickly become one of the largest personalities on the network. His show airs for two hours every day and puts up big numbers on YouTube and TikTok, connecting with a younger audience. He’s also a key component of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” leading a simulcast of games where he chats with his pals and brings on guests, such as Matthew McConaughey during the Texas and Alabama matchup from earlier this season. The experience is designed to give fans a more relaxed look at the game — like you’re watching with your friends.
It’s still a bit too early to tell the financial value McAfee is bringing to ESPN, but he’s been open about rewarding the people who have helped his company grow. He says it’s gone from somewhere between $2 and $5 million to $500 million in just a few years. He even claims that Rodgers “deserves much more than what he’s gotten for the time and effort he has put into” his appearances.
Rodgers has certainly been a big draw for McAfee’s show. As a guest on the platform, he announced his darkness retreat this offseason, told the world he was becoming a New York Jet, and has had numerous discussions around COVID-19. Those conversations include a dive into “COVID Toe” and Rodgers challenging Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Dr. Anthony Fauci to a debate.
ESPN is banking heavily on McAfee to deliver some positives for the network. He’s using a portion of his salary to pay guests to help his platform grow. This isn’t unheard of — radio stations and other media channels often pay managers or athletes for regular appearances. Eli Manning received $125,000 for 15 to 20-minute weekly segments on WFAN, and Jomboy Media is paying Aaron Boone somewhere in the $250,000 range for consistent appearances on the Jomboy Yankee podcast.
Of course, McAfee is paying more than that. But as he puts it: “That’s how business is supposed to work.”
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