Date: July 22nd, 2026 5:28 PM Author: Razzmatazz background story station
Because he can. Because that's the rate the market sets. Because someone else would pay him that much to go to their platform because he'd bring a lot of eyeballs with him.
Lesser legacy media personalities making low 7 figures is much more egregious because no one cares who they are or thinks anyone is tuning in specifically for them. People are tuning in specifically for Pat McAfee.
Date: July 22nd, 2026 6:05 PM Author: fluffy sanctuary idea he suggested
they're paying to stop kalshi from lighting cash on fire to start a competing sports media franchise that would probably crash and burn anyways. mcafee isn't worth that much but espn can pay and is aware enough to know that mcafee brings his own audience and they really don't have jack shit to offer otherwise. they took the path of becoming a talk show entertainment company instead of a sportscenter company and they have no personalities to carry it besides token stephen a smith. kalshi could probably pay him even more to become the front piece of a new sports channel.