Stephen A. Smith’s future at ESPN could come down to money.
During a recent interview with OutKick’s Clay Travis, the “First Take” host explained that the “superior ratings and revenue” he’s bringing in, among other things, should make him the highest-earning personality at Disney and ESPN — and hinted that he’s prepared to leave the network if that’s not reflected in his new contract.
“Yes. I’m not stuttering,” Smith said when asked if he thinks he should be the highest-paid person at ESPN given the work he’s doing. “Hell, yes, that’s absolutely true. I’ve mastered my own business in the world of sports television.”
Smith makes $12 million per year on the contract he signed in late 2019 — a five-year, $60 million deal.
As The Post’s Andrew Marchand previously reported, Smith’s personal salary is $8 million a year, but he also has a $4 million-per-year production contract.
“Clay Travis, I’ve been number one for 12 years,” Smith said, referring to his ratings. “April 1 will mark 12 consecutive years I’ve been number one. Not only have I been number one every year, I’ve been number one every week in every month of every year for the last 12 years. You don’t get to say that about too many people.
“I look at whether it’s [fellow ESPN personalities] Pat McAfee, Mike Greenberg, Scott Van Pelt, it’s Troy Aikman, it’s Joe Buck, it’s Kirk Herbstreit, the list goes on and on. I’m so honored to have the colleagues that I have that I work with at ESPN every day. And at the end of the day, it would be nice, for one day, for this man to stand before everyone and be like, this is not I’m number one and this says I’m number one.”
Smith also noted Tony Romo’s deal at CBS — a 10-year contract for $17.5 million per year he signed in 2020, which was the largest sports analyst contract in TV history at the time.
“I’m not just a talent. I’m a business,” Smith said. “I’ve got my own production company. I’ve got my own YouTube channel. I’ve got my own show. It’s not even just a podcast. It’s a show with a fully loaded television studio. That’s what I built for myself, that could go linear or digital. The list goes on and on.
“I’m doing all of these things. I’m not doing all of that to be in second place. I’m not doing all of that to look up at somebody else to see that they’re making more than me when I’m producing superior ratings and revenue. No, I’m not doing that. And I’m not apologizing for anybody for it.”
Smith explained that he’s been treated “incredibly well” by ESPN, and hopes to work out a new deal when the time comes.
“I expect to continue to be treated well by ESPN,” he said. “Again, I’ve got great relationships and what have you, but this is a business and Disney has a right to run its business the way it sees fit. ESPN does as well. But if they do, so do I.
“I hope that we’re able to work it out. I’m confident that we will, because I’m incredibly happy there. But we’ll see.”
Smith’s contract is up in 18 months.
He recently debuted a brand new studio in New York City, where he films his podcast, “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”
Some of his ESPN colleagues he named in the interview with Travis have surpassed his salary.
Aikman makes $18 million a year on the five-year, $90 million contract he signed in early 2022 to become the “Monday Night Football” analyst alongside Buck — who inked a five-year deal for $75 million.
Both contracts will take the former Fox personalities through 2027, when ABC/ESPN will broadcast the Super Bowl.
McAfee, who ruffled feathers when he took his FanDuel talk show to ESPN in September, landed a five-year, $85 million deal ($17 million per year) with the network that was announced in May.
Greenberg reportedly makes a $6.5 million salary as one of the faces of ESPN, across multiple television and radio shows.
Van Pelt reportedly brings in $6 million. He landed the “Monday Night Countdown” job in August when he signed a multi-year extension with ESPN amid layoffs at the sports giant.
Herbstreit picked up a three-year ESPN extension on top of the two years that were already on his contract in 2022.
He is in the Aikman — $18 million per year — neighborhood with his salaries from ESPN and Amazon combined, Marchand previously reported.
Herbstreit is an analyst alongside Al Michaels on “Thursday Night Football” on Prime Video.
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