ESPN declared on Monday that Shams Charania was being hired to step into the vacant role by veteran reporter Adrian Wojnarowski. Charania confirmed his new position through a social media post. The move comes after Wojnarowski left ESPN last month to take on a new challenge as the men’s basketball program general manager at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure.
With Charania’s arrival, there has been speculation about how much ESPN will pay him compared to his predecessor. According to sports business insider John Ourand of Puck, Wojnarowski earned a hefty $7 million annually before leaving the network.
However, Ourand also revealed that Charania will earn significantly less, with his salary being less than half that of his predecessor. Despite the pay cut, he is no stranger to high earnings.
While working for The Athletic and Stadium, he earned an estimated $3-4 million annually. Hence, the new deal also puts him in nearly the same financial range as his previous deal.
Pat McAfee Endorsed Shams Charania to Replace Adrian Wojnarowski
Before ESPN’s move, speculation swirled about who would replace Wojnarowski. Fellow ESPN stars Jeff Passan and Adam Schefter were tossed around as potential replacements, but many believed Charania was the ideal choice. Pat McAfee also shared the same thoughts on his Pat McAfee show. McAfee backed Charania as the right fit for the position.
“Shams Charania’s the answer. I know there’s conversation happening. But if you take our bias out of this conversation, there’s only one answer.” McAfee said.
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Charania has long been a popular figure in the NBA world. His rise to prominence continued when he joined The Athletic in 2018 after his time with Yahoo.
Also Read: Adrian Wojnarowski Opens Up About Shams Charania Joining ESPN In A Blockbuster Media Move
