Matt Barnes is rooting for Stephen A. Smith to sign a massive deal with ESPN. He knows he can benefit from it too.
The 14-year NBA veteran, who was an NBA analyst on ESPN for four years following his retirement from basketball in 2017, is the co-host of the All The Smoke podcast and CEO of a production company with the same name. While he parlayed his ESPN work into an independent venture, he tells Front Office Sports the success of media members attached to big companies can “trickle down” to the rest of the industry.
Barnes specifically pointed at Smith’s potential $100 million deal with the Disney-owned brand, negotiations reported on by FOS senior writer Michael McCarthy.
“Stephen A Smith is one of the biggest personalities and we’re hearing talks that he possibly could get a $100 million contract as a media member,” Barnes says. “That’s absolutely incredible and when I see that I applaud it … There’s still friendly competition on this side of the game as well because as the money gets bigger for the game, that means the money is going to get bigger for the media.”
Barnes’s comments aren’t without merit. Smith’s market value has shot up in part because of the likes of Pat McAfee, who have received deals bigger than the $12 million per year on Smith’s current deal.
Life After ESPN
The NBA season starts in a few weeks, but ESPN’s coverage is expected to change drastically following the resignation of Adrian Wojnarowski and layoff of Zach Lowe. The company also lost lead commentator JJ Redick this summer.
Barnes is no stranger to life after ESPN, and he recognizes it’s the nature of the business. But his show, which is launching a book on Oct. 8 to celebrate its five-year anniversary, is an example of the growth of basketball media beyond ESPN and Fox.
“I think those big pillars and big machines will always be there, but you don’t have to be on those platforms now to have your voice heard, to go viral, or to make good money. The tide has shifted,” Barnes says.
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