Pat McAfee has become one of the most popular voices in all of sports media and has re-written how the industry conveys news and information to its consumers with a casual approach that appeals to a younger demographic.
The former Indianapolis Colts punter began a podcast after his long NFL career and has changed the way sports media is looked at, consumed and set the stage for shows like New Heights with the Kelce brothers and an an informal, funny yet informative, behind-the-scenes glimpse into everything NFL and college football.
Pat McAfee clearly carries a ton of weight at ESPN and has gotten away with many things that would have had other personalities fired in the past.
This was evident when he recently called out one of the top executives by name publicly, Pat McAfee didn’t hold back when voicing his displeasure with top ESPN exec Norby Williamson publicly, who has apparently been less than thrilled about the content he’s bringing to the airwaves of the World Wide Leader and was called out by the hottest name in sports media for apparently leaking misleading ratings information.
McAfee has a unique contract He works as a talent for College GameDay and a weekly guest on First Take, but his Pat McAfee Show airs on ESPN through a separate licensing agreement. That has led to some clashes with management, including most notably Norby Williamson. .
McAfee also stood by NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers after Rodgers alluded to Jimmy Kimmel being connected with child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein earlier this year. McAfee’s arrival has been an abrupt departure from the buttoned-up image president Jimmy Pitaro tried to cultivate since taking over in 2017.
In a revealing interview on the All the Smoke podcast, cohosted by retired NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Pat McAfee weighed in on the controversy that put him and his show in a public dispute with Norby Williamson at the sports network, which in 2023 committed to paying McAfee $85 million over five years to air his program. (A clip of the podcast episode was released late Tuesday; the full episode will post Thursday morning.)
When asked whether he faced backlash for his comments, the former Colts punter turned radio host and commentator said he wasn’t sure and then weighed in on his situation with the network.
“I report directly to president] Jimmy [Pitaro] and [Disney CEO] Bob [Iger],” McAfee said on the episode. “I saw [media reporting] ‘Pat calls out his boss.’ I don’t got a motherf***ing boss. What are we …? We talking Jimmy Pitaro or Bob Iger? Like, is that who we’re talking about? Because those are people that could technically be described as my boss.”
Pat McAfee’s Status For College Gameday In 2024 Is Currently Uncertain
According to a report from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the former Indianapolis Colts punter is not currently under contract for “College GameDay”, which he began appearing on in 2019:
“With the start of the season a little more than two months away, Pat McAfee remains unsigned with ESPN’s “College GameDay,” sources briefed on McAfee’s contract talks told The Athletic.
McAfee, the 37-year-old talk show host, wrestling analyst and firebrand, said late last year that he would return to the program, but a deal to make that official is still not completed. McAfee has a separate contract that allows ESPN to license his daily “The Pat McAfee Show” on its network and YouTube.”
Pat McAfee became a full-time ESPN “College GameDay” analyst during the 2022 season, while he was still under contract with FanDuel. Around this time, McAfee also took a leave from WWE after serving as a commentator alongside longtime play-by-play man Michael Cole.
