In what might be the richest talent deal in sports media history, FanDuel has reportedly signed a deal with “The Pat McAfee Show” worth in the vicinity of $30 million annually.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport was first with the news an extension had been reached — as McAfee’s show already had a sponsorship deal with FanDuel — and NBA insider Shams Charania followed up with the annual compensation. McAfee confirmed in a YouTube video his show has reupped with FanDuel for “an absurd amount of money” on a four-year deal with an opt-out after three years.
It’s unclear how much of that $30 million is base pay, versus potential enticements for affiliate referrals. Furthermore, this deal likely includes the pay for his co-host A.J. Hawk, and crew of producers and other show contributors. Nevertheless, McAfee is the main driver and this is an enormous pay package that will inevitably have ripple effects across the industry.
As sports gambling implementation continues its slow crawl toward activation in New York, there has been a gold rush across America. Everywhere you turn, inside and outside of sports, there is marketing for sportsbooks like FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet, BetMGM, WynnBet, BetRivers, Caesars and so on.
McAfee, as an edgy and relatable personality, has proven to be an effective referrer of bettors to FanDuel. This is why they were so keen to back up the Brinks truck to retain him as gambling moves into higher-populated states such as New York and perhaps eventually Texas and California.
Other notable gambling deals involving sports media talent include Penn National Gaming buying Barstool Sports from The Chernin Group, and DraftKings doing a deal with Meadowlark Media’s “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” that was reportedly worth $50 million over three years.