Stephen A. Smith Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Stephen A. Smith Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Title: Stephen A. Smith Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Last Updated: February 5, 2025


What is Stephen A. Smith’s Net Worth and Salary?

With a net worth of $25 million, Stephen A. Smith is a prominent figure in American sports media. Earning an annual salary of $13 million, he is widely recognized for his contributions to various ESPN programs. Additionally, he writes for ESPN’s websites as well as The Philadelphia Inquirer. Stephen A. Smith has made a significant impact in talk radio and has also appeared in various films, typically in cameo roles portraying himself.

Salary

From early years until April 2019, Stephen A. Smith earned a salary of $5 million per year. However, in mid-April 2019, he negotiated a new deal with ESPN that increased his salary to $8 million annually, establishing him as the highest-paid ESPN personality and the top sports caster overall. In March 2020, he was surpassed by Tony Romo, whose deal with CBS reached $17 million per year. Currently, Smith’s salary stands at $13 million annually with ESPN.

Turning Down $90 Million

In June 2024, news emerged that Stephen A. Smith declined a contract offer from ESPN worth $90 million over five years, averaging $18 million per year. Sources indicate he rejected this deal to pursue a more lucrative offer of $25 million annually.

Stephen A. Smith

Jennifer Graylock/Getty Images

Early Life

Born in the Bronx, New York, Stephen A. Smith comes from a family with a hardware store owned by his father. Before entering the hardware business, his father gained recognition as a basketball and baseball player. Stephen A. Smith, the second-youngest among seven siblings, nurtured an early passion for basketball that earned him a scholarship to Winston-Salem State University after a year at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

While at college, he played basketball under the esteemed coach Clarence Gaines, which provided him with invaluable insight and strategic understanding of the game. Not shying away from criticism, Smith openly discussed his coach’s health concerns and called for his retirement in the university’s newspaper as he neared graduation in 1991.

Early Journalism Career

Stephen A. Smith’s post-college journalism career began at the Winston-Salem Journal as a clerk in the sports department, a role that opened doors for future opportunities. He soon transitioned to more significant positions at publications like the Greensborough News and Record and the New York Daily News. His career truly flourished when he secured a position with The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Initially, Stephen A. Smith concentrated primarily on covering the Philadelphia 76ers as…

Initially starting as an NBA writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Smith’s position within the publication eventually expanded significantly. Over time, he received two promotions and attained the title of general sports columnist. In 2008, despite cultivating a substantial following through his work, The Philadelphia Inquirer chose to terminate his employment. Following this, Smith created his own blog and successfully won a court case two years later against his former employer. The court’s ruling mandated that The Philadelphia Inquirer must rehire Smith while stipulating that he should exclude all political and personal opinions from his writings.

Stephen A. Smith 1Stephen A. Smith 1

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ESPN

Starting his journey with ESPN as early as 2003, Stephen A. Smith’s initial position was as an analyst on the NBA Shootaround pregame show, which later became known as NBA Countdown. By 2005, he was hosting his own program, Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith, which was ultimately canceled in 2007. Furthermore, he was also granted his own daily show, The Stephen A. Smith Show. However, sports fans most likely recognize him from his involvement with ESPN’s First Take, which he joined in 2012. In addition to this, Smith has made appearances on several other ESPN programs, such as Dream Job, Pardon the Interruption, Jim Rome is Burning, and Sportscenter. In 2014, he secured a contract valued at $3 million per year. Subsequently, from 2015 to April 2019, his salary increased to $5 million annually with ESPN. A new contract inked in April 2019, reported to last until 2021, would see his annual earnings rise to between $8 and $10 million. By 2023, his salary reportedly reached $13 million per year, solidifying his status as one of the highest-paid television personalities in ESPN’s history.

Acting Career

Stephen A. Smith’s venture into acting commenced with a guest spot on General Hospital, a show he has admired for many years and on which he has made multiple cameo appearances. In 2007, he appeared in the Chris Rock film I Think I Love My Wife. Additionally, Smith has starred in several beef jerky commercials for Oberto. In 2023, he made a cameo in Creed III.

Radio Career

Stephen A. Smith’s career has also been significantly marked by his contributions to talk radio. He began this path in 2005 at WEPN radio in New York City, where segments of his show were subsequently aired on ESPN Radio. In 2009, he joined Fox Sports Radio, where he later hosted the morning show. In 2013, he departed from ESPN radio to collaborate with Chris Russo on the Mad Dog Sports Channel, which was featured on Sirius/XM. By 2017, Smith returned to ESPN, continuing his show on Sirius/XM. During the period from 2015 to 2019, he earned $1 million annually from his Sirius/XM radio hosting duties.

Controversy

Known for his direct and candid commentary, Stephen A. Smith’s “straight-up” style has led to various controversies. One of the most notable incidents involved his remarks about domestic violence related to an NFL player and his wife, which resulted in a brief suspension. Additionally, he sparked controversy with his suggestion that an NFL coach’s decisions were influenced by racial bias. Another significant backlash occurred when he made belittling comments while watching a highlight reel of women’s soccer during the FIFA World Cup.

Personal Life

Stephen A. Smith remains unmarried and is a father to two daughters, who are a year apart, yet information regarding them is relatively scarce. Due to his reserved nature about his personal life, he has not disclosed details about his dating history, although it has been rumored that he was once engaged.


Stephen A. Smith Net Worth (Money & Salary)

We appreciate your reading of this article titled: Stephen A. Smith Net Worth (Money & Salary)

The data has been gathered from 2023 and 2024, with forecasts extending into 2025 and 2026. Furthermore, we have included projections for 2027 and 2028.

 



* This information was taken from various sources around the world, including these countries:

Australia, Canada, USA, UK, UAE, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, US, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan.

Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi.

Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling Islands), Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia (Hrvatska), Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic.

Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Metropolitan, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories.

Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy.

Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg.

Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar.

Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand (NZ), Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway.

Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe.

Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Helena, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria.

Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK (United Kingdom), USA (United States of America, U.S.), US Minor Outlying Islands.

Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State (Holy See), Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (US), Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.


Post Title: Stephen A. Smith Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Last Updated: February 5, 2025

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