Stephen A. Smith has revealed some details about the salary he receives from ESPN.
During a conversation centering on athlete compensation and the decreasing number of U.S. -born Black athletes in Major League Baseball held on “First Take,” Smith said that he’s underpaid by ESPN.
While addressing the pay gap that impacts every Black person living in the United States, he made it clear that the focus of the conversation wasn’t about him. However, he still added his two cents.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith says he is underpaid because he’s black
He makes $8 million a year pic.twitter.com/wffqohrmr5
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 30, 2022
“We are still Black in this country,” Smith said on “First Take.” “We don’t trust this country in terms of meritocracy always. We know the bottom line is that, just like women are underpaid compared to male counterparts, Blacks are underpaid compared to white counterparts.”
He continued: “I’m not talking about me, even though, I got news for you, I am underpaid compared to some people on television to what they get paid, but that’s a subject for another day. I ain’t apologizing for that to a d-mn soul. I am underpaid. Having said all of that, it ain’t about me.”
Smith reportedly earns $12 million each year, which consists of an $8 million yearly salary and a $4 million-per-year production contract, according to the Washington Examiner.
Smith’s involvement with ESPN: Smith’s work with ESPN includes his involvement with “First Take,” “NBA Countdown,” “Stephen A’s World,” and leading year-round SportsCenter specials.
