Ex-NFL punter Pat McAfee’s $168m media deal could change sports media
A former NFL punter has hit the jackpot as he hit it big with a monster deal that is set to change the sports media industry forever.
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In what might be the richest talent deal in sports media history, FanDuel has reportedly signed a contract with “The Pat McAfee Show” worth in the vicinity of $30 million annually.
McAfee, whose show already had a sponsorship deal with FanDuel, confirmed in a YouTube video his show has reupped with FanDuel for “an absurd amount of money” on a four-year deal with an opt-out after three years.
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The 34-year-old was a punter for the Indianapolis Colts for seven NFL seasons before retiring and pursuing a career as a broadcaster.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport was first with the news that an extension had been reached and NBA insider Shams Charania followed up with the annual compensation.
It’s unclear how much of that $30 million will be base pay, as opposed to potential enticements for affiliate referrals.
Furthermore, this deal likely includes the pay for McAfee’s co-host, A.J. Hawk, and his crew of producers and other show contributors.
Pat McAfee left millions of dollars on the table when he retired from the NFL.
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) December 9, 2021
He wanted to start creating content & people thought he was insane.
Now, just 4 years later, he has signed a ~$120 million deal with FanDuel, or roughly 8x what he made in the NFL.
That's legendary.
Pat McAfee starting his own show & signing a ~$30M annual deal with FanDuel is wild.
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) December 9, 2021
But the fact that he donated $6M of it on Day 1 to youth programs, children's hospitals, domestic violence shelters & other charities makes it that much more amazing.
Congrats @PatMcAfeeShow!
Pat McAfeeâs career earnings in 8 NFL seasons:
— Daire Carragher (@DaireCarragher) December 9, 2021
$15 million
Pat McAfee Show partnership with FanDuel over next 4 years:
$120 million
Nevertheless, McAfee is the main driver and this is an enormous pay package that will inevitably have ripple effects across the industry.
As sports gambling implementation continues its slow crawl toward activation in New York, there has been a gold rush across America.
Everywhere inside and outside of sports, there is marketing for sportsbooks such as FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet, BetMGM, WynnBet, BetRivers, Caesars and others.
McAfee, as an edgy and relatable personality, has proven to be effective at referring bettors to FanDuel.
That is why FanDuel was so keen to back up the Brinks truck to retain McAfee as gambling moves into higher-populated states such as New York and perhaps eventually Texas and California.
Other notable gambling deals involving sports media talent include Penn National Gaming buying Barstool Sports from The Chernin Group and DraftKings doing a deal with Meadowlark Media’s “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” which was reportedly worth $50 million over three years.
This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.
Originally published as Ex-NFL punter Pat McAfee’s $168m media deal could change sports media