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Pat McAfee Show making jump to ESPN in multimillion-dollar move

Nakos updated headshotby:Pete Nakos•05/16/23•

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Pat McAfee is making the move to the Worldwide Leader in Sports.

The former West Virginia and Indianapolis Colts punter has developed the “Pat McAfee Show” into one of the most followed daily sports shows in the country, leveraging social media and YouTube. It was enough to land a four-year, $120 million deal with FanDuel.

Now he is headed to ESPN after the second year of his contract with the sports betting company, announced on Tuesday afternoon. This coincides with Disney and ESPN in the midst of layoffs. The show will join the media company’s daily programming this fall.

The former Barstool personality made the decision to go on his own in 2018. His relationship with ESPN dates back to his time as an analyst for Thursday night college football games in 2019.

McAfee joined ESPN’s College GameDay crew as an analyst this past fall. The decision to bring on the personality came with the hope of a drawing a younger crowd to tune into the pregame college football show. He has also participated in his own alternative broadcast to games through Peyton Manning‘s Omaha Productions.

“Pat is a proven talent. He and his team have built The Pat McAfee Show into one of the most engaging programs in sports and all of media,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “It’s a destination for athlete interviews and breaking news, and the centerpiece of a growing community of sports fans. We’re honored to bring Pat and the show to ESPN through a multifaceted, multiplatform approach.”

Now he is becoming a full-timer at ESPN. The details on the relationship between McAfee and Disney are not fully clear. The show has a cast of characters that are expected to make the move, including former Pro Bowl linebacker A.J. Hawk.

Several of McAfee’s longtime friends are members of his show, including Adam “Pacman” Jones. The sports betting-themed “Hammer Dahn” and “That’s Hockey Talk” will be transitioned to ESPN, too.

The move comes at a time when ESPN is trying to add value to its programming. Bringing on McAfee and his show is a clear message that changes are coming.