Stephen A. Smith has locked in the top spot among sports media’s highest-paid broadcasters with a reported $40 million annual haul.
The ESPN personality, 58, recently signed a five-year, $105 million contract extension with the network, according to Bleacher Report’s ranking of the field. That deal supplements a separate three-year, $36 million agreement with SiriusXM Radio. Smith also generates revenue through his YouTube channel and podcast, layering additional income atop his base salary.
Tom Brady, 49, sits just behind Smith at number two. The former New England Patriots quarterback, who retired from the NFL in 2023, inked a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox in 2022. That contract pencils out to $37.5 million annually for the seven-time Super Bowl champion.
Pat McAfee, 39, claims the third position with roughly $30 million per year. The former NFL punter built his profile through “The Pat McAfee Show” before expanding into broader ESPN programming.
Charles Barkley, 63, ranks fourth at approximately $21 million annually. The former Houston Rockets star joined “Inside the NBA” in 2000 after a 16-year playing career. Barkley reportedly holds a contract worth $210 million total, though that figure spans multiple years.
A three-way tie occupies the next tier. Tony Romo, 46, Troy Aikman, 59, and Joe Buck, 57, each collect around $18 million per year. Romo transitioned from Dallas Cowboys quarterback to CBS’s lead NFL analyst. Aikman, another former Cowboys quarterback, works alongside Buck at ESPN after the longtime broadcast pair moved from Fox together.
Kirk Herbstreit, 57, takes the eighth spot at $16 million annually. The former Ohio State quarterback rose to prominence on ESPN’s “College GameDay” and now also calls ABC’s Saturday college football game and Thursday NFL matchups.
Al Michaels, 81, and Shaquille O’Neal, 54, are tied at the bottom of the top 10, each earning approximately $15 million per year. Michaels has spent more than five decades in sports broadcasting across CBS, NBC, ABC and now Amazon, where he provides play-by-play for Thursday Night Football.
O’Neal retired from the NBA in June 2011 and joined TNT Sports shortly after. The former Los Angeles Lakers center recently signed a “long-term” extension worth the reported $15 million annual figure, maintaining his presence on the network’s basketball coverage.
The rankings reveal a market where former athletes increasingly command premium salaries for commentary roles, with annual compensation stretching from Smith’s $40 million down to the $15 million tier shared by Michaels and O’Neal. Several broadcasters maintain multiple revenue streams beyond their primary network contracts, amplifying their total earnings through podcasts, radio deals and digital platforms.
The landscape has shifted dramatically from traditional play-by-play roles to personality-driven analysis, with networks investing heavily in voices that generate conversation and controversy. Smith’s position at the apex reflects that evolution, his polarizing takes commanding the richest price in the industry.
None of the broadcasters ranked commented publicly on the salary figures, which were compiled by Bleacher Report based on reported contract terms.