About a month ago, former ESPN host Jemele Hill released a study that claimed 83% of sports editors and 68% of sports anchors are white men. As Hill got severe backlash for the claims, Dan Le Batard further intensified the argument through his talk show. Earlier in September, he claimed that NFL broadcasting jobs had more white men, although the players are “disproportionately black.” Now, Le Batard has added to his argument, bringing ESPN’s contracts into the spotlight. 

“I just wondered aloud. It’s a factual thing. They’re [ESPN analysts] all white and male except for Jonathan Vilma and a couple of others,” Le Batard said, criticizing ESPN’s hiring process on The Dan Le Batard Show. “A factual thing was objected to. And this is what I wanted to ask you, because since George Floyd, the company of ESPN and the country of the United States were promising some sort of change over the last five years. But what has happened with the NFL Network and ESPN, having put a whole bunch of white people in charge of how to select the next evolution of ESPN, this is what’s happened.”

“I like almost all of the people that I’m about to mention here. I know many of them, and I respect all of the ones that I know, a great deal. So I mean this as no insult. I’m just asking everybody listening to this: have you noticed that the people at ESPN who are getting the chances and the big money as things grow at ESPN are Joe Buck, Pat McAfee, Josh Pate, Rich Eisen, the Golics, Jason Kelce, Peter Schrager, and the Mannings? I’m legitimately asking the question, as I know that Stephen A. Smith has also gotten the money.”

Le Batard argued that ESPN has huge contracts mostly for white employees. But it’s worth noting that Stephen A. Smith bagged a five-year, $100 million extension deal with ESPN in 2025. Joe Buck also signed a six-year contract extension for $108 million. Meanwhile, Pat McAfee makes $60-65 million a year. But it’s worth noting that McAfee has a licensing deal with ESPN, which gives him complete control over The Pat McAfee Show. 

Because McAfee leases his show to ESPN, Smith is technically one of the highest-paid employees for the network.

“But as the money flows in from Disney and ESPN to fund the great spectacle that is the Worldwide Leader in sports that is now sitting out the political discussion to become the worldwide follower of sports, that it’s a whole lot of white people hiring a whole lot of white people and giving all of the money to a whole lot of white people. I have no issue with those people getting that money. But it’s only those people getting that money,” Le Batard further added.

Outkick’s Bobby Burack noted that while Mike Golic and Mike Golic Jr. returned to the network, their roles weren’t as dramatic as the others. The duo got spots to host a radio-only program. He further claimed that if Le Batard called the Golics out, he should have also given a shoutout to Stan Verrett, a black commentator who is infamous for his concerning social media posts. Burack also pointed out that like Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley, the Mannings are on a licensing deal. 

He further clarified that the network gave almost every promotion to a black employee. Burack listed names including Ryan Clark, David Dennis Jr., Monica McNutt, Elle Duncan, Clinton Yates, Chiney Ogwumike, and others. And the most recent promotions went to names like Smith, Mina Kimes, Malika Andrews, and more. That group, according to Burack, is only about 50% white. 

In fact, Stephen A. Smith didn’t seem to agree with Le Batard, even though many netizens did. According to Smith, McAfee got a good deal out of the network only because he deserved it. 

Stephen A. Smith believes Pat McAfee earned his way to the top at ESPN

“First of all, I’m happy for him. He’s earned it, and I truly mean that,” Smith said. “I do believe, even though it makes people uncomfortable, as a Black man, that I don’t believe that’s an opportunity that would ever come to us first. In our society, we can say that’s fortunate or unfortunate. But the reality is that there usually has to be a precedent set before somebody is in a position to capitalize off of that. 

“Make no mistake. I will be. But I definitely think along those lines, business is business. He’s earned it with a multitude of things that he has done. I’ve been incredibly successful in linear. He’s incredibly successful in streaming. The future is there, and I think that’s incredibly important.” 

According to Smith, the story is bigger than a paycheck. Barrett Media’s John Mamola believed that it’s a cultural benchmark that conveys the message that entities can expect to make such money out of their contracts with ESPN. 

Ultimately, ESPN’s megadeals keep fueling an intense debate between industry diversity and raw commercial value.