Pat McAfee’s present is transferring to ESPN as a part of a brand new multiyear deal introduced Tuesday.
McAfee first joined ESPN as a university soccer analyst for its Thursday evening video games in 2019. He returned to the community final 12 months and have become a part of the “College GameDay” crew in addition to internet hosting some alternate shows of ESPN video games, together with the CFP National Championship.
That will proceed, however it’s McAfee’s present that has created essentially the most buzz. It started on satellite tv for pc radio in 2016 and picked up steam when it started streaming in 2019. The present has been primarily on YouTube the previous three years, however will transfer to ESPN, the ESPN YouTube Channel and ESPN+ as a part of the community’s afternoon lineup starting within the fall. It will possible air after “First Take” and begin at 12 p.m. ET.
McAfee is exiting a four-year cope with FanDuel that the New York Post reported was value $120 million.
The McAfee present is understood for weekly appearances by Aaron Rodgers through the soccer season, together with his announcement of his impending commerce to the New York Jets, but additionally for a frequent use of profanity. McAfee mentioned throughout ESPN’s presentation to advertisers Tuesday that he wouldn’t swear “nearly as much” however the substance and magnificence of the present wouldn’t change regardless of its new residence.
“We ain’t changing a damn thing,” McAfee mentioned. “Every other word is good to go. … We won’t be doing that because it’s the middle of the day, but everything else will be good.”
ESPN additionally introduced a documentary collection on Serena Williams and 4 main matchups for the upcoming school soccer season.
“In the Arena: Serena Williams” has began manufacturing and comes on heels of the 2021 “Man in the Arena: Tom Brady” collection. The Brady collection was 10 elements and targeted on every of the seasons Brady took his crew to the Super Bowl.
ESPN has not introduced what number of elements there will likely be for the Williams collection. Williams received 23 singles titles in grand slam tournaments, however ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro mentioned the episodes received’t be dictated by that.
“We’ll combine some things here, but it’s going to be fantastic. I’m probably as excited about that as I am any film that we have in development right now,” Pitaro mentioned.
Williams additionally appeared on stage through the presentation. The collection will likely be directed by Gotham Chopra and is co-produced by ESPN, Religion of Sports, Brady’s 199 Productions, and Williams’ and Caroline Currier’s Nine Two Six Productions.
The Labor Day weekend sport between Florida State and LSU will air on ABC for the second straight season. The evening sport will likely be performed in Orlando, Florida, on Sept. 3.
Alabama will host Texas on Sept. 9 in a sport airing on ESPN. ABC once more can have the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma from Dallas on Oct. 7 in addition to Notre Dame’s sport at Clemson on Nov. 4.
The ESPN presentation was one a part of the Walt Disney Company’s complete program for advertisers Tuesday. ESPN and different networks owned by Disney used to have separate applications earlier than the transfer to a mixed presentation a few years in the past.
Rita Ferro, president of Disney promoting gross sales and partnerships, famous the transfer from eight totally different occasions to at least one stemmed from a requirement from advertisers to do fewer huge occasions.
The presentation got here amid layoffs all through the Walt Disney Company, together with ESPN. Disney CEO Bob Iger introduced in February that the corporate would scale back 7,000 jobs both by way of attrition or layoffs.
ESPN went by way of the primary of two rounds of reductions final month. There additionally will likely be a spherical of cuts involving on-air expertise over the summer time carried out by way of non-renewal of contracts, buyouts or cuts.
“It has been a tough period, the past few weeks. I think folks are looking forward to getting through this month and regrouping,” Pitaro mentioned. “We’re operating in a world where fewer households are subscribing to traditional television. That puts pressure on the business.”
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