Stephen A. Smith ESPN Salary: Host Earns $10 Million Annually

Stephen A. Smith is a sports media personality and a commentator on ESPN’s “First Take.” He is expected to become one of the highest-paid on-air personalities on the sports channel as he is earning up to $10 million annually.

Due to his various shows, Smith currently has an estimated net worth of $16 million. Over the years with ESPN, the TV star was able to negotiate significant increases to his salary. He signed a contract in 2014 that paid him $3 million per year. In the following year, he was able to negotiate an increase to $5 million, which lasted until 2019. He then reportedly signed a new deal that’s giving him an estimated $8 million to $10 million annual salary after the previous contract, as per Celebrity Net Worth.

In comparison, ESPN’s “Get Up!” host Mike Greenberg reportedly earned $6.5 million in 2019 for doing the program. The amount is the highest publicly known salary on the sports channel thus far, the New York Post reported.

On top of his sports media career, Smith also entered the entertainment industry, appearing on “General Hospital,” a long-running daytime show where he made multiple cameos. He also appeared in Chris Rock’s 2007 movie “I Think I Love My Wife.”

Smith is most famous for his frank and no-nonsense commentary, frequently getting into screaming matches with other personalities on live TV. On multiple occasions, he told NFL athletes to “stay off the weed” and called Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers a “bad man,” as per Fanbuzz.

But his most recent stint has drawn widespread criticism, with many viewers calling his statement xenophobic. In July, Smith said that MLB’s Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels was contributing to the downfall of the game. His comment came after the baseball superstar spoke to the media with the aid of an English interpreter.

Max Kellerman, Smith’s co-host on “First Take,” tried to salvage the situation but later said that Ohtani should learn the English language. Later, Smith posted a video on Twitter where he addressed the criticisms, arguing that people were misinterpreting his comment.

He said that his only intention was to make people aware of the marketability and promotional aspects of the game. Smith argued that Ohtani would have had an easier time if he spoke the English language, Forbes reported.