Popular sports personality Pat McAfee may soon be taking his talents over to a top American sports network.
The former NFL punter and WWE commentator/part-time wrestler currently hosts “The Pat McAfee Show” on FanDuel. Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported back in March that McAfee could leave FanDuel in the midst of a four-year deal worth $120-plus million.
In an update, Marchand reports that ESPN is the new front-runner to land McAfee’s services, should the 36-year-old decide to leave FanDuel:
“As Pat McAfee contemplates walking away from his $120 million deal with FanDuel, ESPN has emerged as the leading candidate to be the home for his daily show, The Post has learned.
McAfee, 36, has become a multi-platform sensation with his “Pat McAfee Show” on YouTube, his work as a WWE performer and as a “College GameDay” panelist, but now he is working toward a larger relationship with ESPN.
No deal is finalized. McAfee did not return messages. ESPN declined comment…
The exact amount of money McAfee will earn in a deal is not yet known, though it is expected to be in the eight-figures-per-year range. It may be less than the $30 million-plus a year FanDuel deal he is potentially walking away from.”
The West Virginia product was a punter for the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2016. McAfee was a two-time Pro Bowler and 2014 First-team All-Pro, helping the Colts to the postseason in five of his eight NFL seasons.
After the Colts’ 2016 season, McAfee announced his retirement from football, having undergone three knee operations over a four-year period. McAfee spent one year at Barstool Sports following his playing career.
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McAfee signed his contract with FanDuel in late 2021. He also works for FOX Sports as an analyst on WWE SmackDown alongside play-by-play commentator Michael Cole, and as an analyst for college football at ESPN.
McAfee is one of the most popular sports media figures in the business, with over 2.2 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. If he lands a gig at ESPN in the not-so-distant future, there’s truly no telling how much more McAfee’s viewership numbers will increase.
