Donovan McNabb and the State of Football
Kay Adams is becoming one of the most sought-after free agents in sports TV this year.
The host of NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” is in contention to host Amazon Prime Video’s new “Thursday Night Football” pregame show.
With her fantasy sports background, Adams is also being pursued by a sports betting giant identified by FanDuel, sources told Front Office Sports.
Sources also told FOS that NFL Network wants to re-up Adams as host of its weekday morning show, which airs from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is said to be a big fan of the show, watching it during his morning workouts.
It’s possible Adams could end up with multiple gigs, which could drive her annual salary into the $2 million to $3 million range, said sources.
A representative for Adams declined to comment, but Adams previously told Pat McAfee she was preparing to explore free agency this spring.
“My contract is up in May, so we have to work that out and figure that out,” she said in January. “So the future is all super-exciting.”
Adams hinted that she was drawing interest from sports betting giants that want to expand into media companies.
The NFL, for example, now has official partnerships with seven sportsbook operators (FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars Entertainment, PointsBet, BetMGM, WynnBet, and Fox Bet).
Sportsbooks like Caesars have been snapping up ex-ESPN talents such as Kenny Mayne and Trey Wingo. Former ESPN star Mike Golic is co-hosting a podcast with Meadowlark Media personality Jessica Smetana for DraftKings.
“Look at what’s going on with sportsbooks. How’s that going to evolve?,” Adams told McAfee. “It’s really an energizing time right now, that’s all I’ll say.”
The NFL’s top Insider, Adam Schefter, told ProFootballTalk’s Peter King he met with major players in the gambling space before re-upping with ESPN for $45 million over five years.
PointsBet could also be interested in Adams. The sports book was targeting both Schefter and NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski before they signed new deals with ESPN.
“We are having conversations with multiple broadcast personalities, but we cannot comment on specific talent,” a PointsBet spokesman told FOS.
Adams has prior experience with NFL Network, Amazon and FanDuel.
She’s hosted “GMFB” for NFL Network since 2016. The weekday show has become a launchpad for young sports media talent, including ex-cast member Nate Burleson who’s now on “CBS Mornings” and “The NFL Today.”
Meanwhile, Adams has hosted Amazon’s “NFL Next” streaming show since 2019. Last season, she anchored with analysts Chris Long, Andrew Hawkins, and Daniel Jeremiah. Back in 2014-2015, Adams worked as a fantasy expert for FanDuel.
During her interview with McAfee, Adams said her ultimate goal is to have the “big-boy seat” on the biggest platforms for the biggest games.
“I love visiting stadiums. I love it. I’m energized by it. Juiced every time I go … I like being part of the gameday experience.”
It’s been a busy hot stove season for NFL TV talents. Troy Aikman and Joe Buck jumped to ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” from rival Fox Sports. Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit signed with Amazon to call “Thursday Night Football” this season.
Greg Olsen and Kevin Burkhardt are the favorites to succeed Aikman and Buck on Fox’s No. 1 NFL announce team.
NFL Network, Amazon, and FanDuel declined comment for this story.
