ESPN pay cuts?

Feels weird on more than one level, to do it 3 weeks before the NFL season begins, and it seems like everyone is writing about this "budgetary move" being termed that both are being fired.

Doesn't change the result, I guess, but still feels very weird.

 

I really enjoy RG3 on CFB broadcasts and I hope he gets picked up this season.
Seems like a surprising termination and I wonder if the timing had anything to do with higher ups wanting to screw him over due to his critical ESPN tweets.

 

RGIII spent a month trying to convince Caleb Williams to pull an Elway to force a trade to Washington. That was fun.

 

I remember watching a Big12 game a couple of years ago and thinking, wow - this color analyst is really good (which is not something you normally think) - and it was RGIII. Seemed to have a lot of insight and mention things you'd never hear other analysts mention.

 

That is a K-A-T smart mistake for the Mouse. Might be a little late this cycle, but I’d expect him to catch on in 2025 as a color guy for one of the NFL regional crews and take off from there.

 

Wrong politics, perhaps? But who knows.

 

Do they dust off Boomer for Countdown, at least for Week 1?

 

In the world of The Mouse, Sam Ponder's $5 million annual salary made her a target. And all she did was NFL Countdown.

Yes, McAfee makes $17 million and Stephen A. makes eight figures ... while I don't have a problem with Ponder, this will figure into Mouse "math."

 

She signed a three-year extension in March 2022, so I assume that is about to end and they just wanted to save a couple mill instead of just letting it run out or are they eating a chunk of 2025?

 

They may as well. I'm not kidding. That show isn't any good and doesn't move the needle and should not attract a giant salary to host.

ESPN's pro shows mostly stink.

 

I assume there is a cycle clause in Ponder’s contract where ESPN can boot her once a year (for any reason) with X days of notice. It’s common in TV. My “d-day” every year is December 19. If I make it to December 20, that means I’ll get paid another 15 months. (The 90-day notice plus the next year of the contract). Imagine a three-year contract where the employees MUST stay all three years but the employer only has to commit to one year at a time. Welcome to TV.

I’ve explained who gets fired/who doesn’t when they make seven figures in this business.

Why do SAS/McAfee make what they make? Because they do the job 5x a week and the ad revenue follows them. They bring eyeballs or downloads.

Sam Ponder can make $1M to be on 20 major Sundays a year… and no one is watching that show because of her. You could put 200 other “hosts” in that chair — and pay them 250k - and you won’t see a notable drop off.

They consume SAS and McAfee because of who they are. That makes what they get paid a bargain if you go by per/hour. Ponder does, what, 60 hours of NFL TV a year on Sundays.

SaS does 60 hours of live TV that ESPN can sell in a month. That’s why they make what they make. Audiences follow.

If you have a popular show (Rome, Patrick, Cowherd, etc) and they go on vacation, the sub host usually pulls in 30% of the usual audience.

Also not the end of the world to have Greenberg or Laura Rutledge absorb Countdown. Thats the landscape.

20 years ago, the anchor in my current job only did 6 and 10 pm (both 30-minute shows) and was paid very well. I make the same amount… but I do 4-5 (solo), 5-530, 6-7, 9-930, 10-1035. And it’s fine. We throw more innings than 20 years ago.