With the NBA and NHL playoffs in full swing and MLB action adding to the mix, ESPN’s studio shows have continued to benefit from a packed sports calendar. Meanwhile, the NFL remains in its offseason; however, that did not stop Pat McAfee from delivering the best May in the history of The Pat McAfee Show.

Per reports, ESPN had an outstanding month in May 2026. The Pat McAfee Show’s successful month helped, as it generated 412,000 views last month, with the figure combining both traditional TV viewers and digital viewers (YouTube and streaming). This was a 25% increase compared to the numbers in May 2025.

The biggest draw the ‘Pat McAfee Show’ has is the NFL. To put that into perspective, the NFL season was over in the second Week of February. Since then, the league has been fueled by offseason headlines. McAfee, meanwhile, managed to generate the best figures in May with no NFL games, no college football games, and no Super Bowl.

However, even though the NFL season had ended, May featured several major football events. The NFL schedule release, the 2026 NFL draft, Aaron Rodgers headlines, and team news, along with free-agent developments.

At the same time, The Pat McAfee Show’s digital reach is enormous. Unlike traditional TV shows, McAfee’s show is available on ESPN, ESPN+, YouTube, and social media platforms. In its report, ESPN admitted that all of its studio shows combined were watched 27% more than in May 2025. On top of that, the network saw an 11% increase among younger viewers between the ages of 18 and 49.

Aside from McAfee’s show, other ESPN shows, including Get Up, First Take, NBA Today, SportsCenter, Pardon the Interruption (PTI), and NFL Live, also hit the best numbers in May 2026. However, for McAfee, ESPN’s announcement came at the perfect time, as he is reportedly in the midst of a contract negotiation with the network.

Pat McAfee looking for a lucractive contract from ESPN

Over the years, Pat McAfee has become one of the leading voices of the sports media world, and last month’s viewership numbers for The Pat McAfee Show only reinforced that. Which is why just halfway into his current ESPN deal, negotiations for a new deal have already started. TKO/WME’s Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro are reportedly negotiating a new contract extension, per The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.

This week, Marchand reported that McAfee is eyeing a $60-$65 million per year deal with ESPN, which would make him the highest-paid analyst in ESPN history. As things stand, McAfee is currently under contract for a couple of more years. Through his show, McAfee currently makes around $17 million annually, but also has money coming in from his appearances on College Gameday, College Football Championships, and other shows.

However, if he is to sign the new deal, McAfee would also expand his duties at the network, especially when it comes to football. At the same time, the terms of the deal will align with his current contract. That means ESPN licenses McAfee’s show under a production agreement rather than a traditional talent contract. It allows McAfee to own the program and to take care of his staff’s payments and production costs.

If his reported $60-$65 million annual deal materializes, McAfee would easily surpass the earnings of a few pros in the sport. Other analysts, like Stephen A. Smith and even Tom Brady, are reportedly on lesser deals than what is being reported for McAfee. So, at this point, it’s safe to say that ESPN is seemingly making Pat McAfee one of the faces of their network.