Pat McAfee and ESPN in Long-Term Contract Talks

Pat McAfee and ESPN have begun negotiations on a long-term contract extension.

According to Front Office Sports, McAfee’s current five-year deal does not expire until 2028, and a new agreement is not imminent, the sources said. An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment.

The talks come on the same day McAfee announced a new sponsorship deal for his show with DraftKings, ESPN’s official sportsbook partner.

Unlike traditional ESPN talent contracts, the network licenses The Pat McAfee Show outright. The arrangement covers McAfee, his co-hosts, producers, and the Indianapolis studio in a single payment, reducing ESPN’s typical overhead costs for studio programming.

McAfee also appears as a star contributor on ESPN’s College GameDay, which has posted record ratings under his involvement. Last year, ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus highlighted McAfee’s impact on the show’s audience.

“We were up 34% year-over-year in the 18-to-24 demo,” Magnus told Front Office Sports. “That just doesn’t happen in our business without something remarkable. To me, that’s the appeal of Pat. … He’s the voice of their generation and their fandom.”

McAfee has proven highly valuable to both ESPN and sports betting platforms by drawing younger male viewers. He previously helped drive customer acquisition for DraftKings rival FanDuel during the early days of sports gambling legalization.