While the ESPN layoffs affected various NFL personalities in July, The Pat McAfee Show was never expected to take a cut. In fact, McAfee has reportedly even been negotiating a big-money contract extension, prompting a striking take from American columnist and former ESPN employee Jason Whitlock.

“Is this some sort of surrender by ESPN? I see this as McAfee continuing to build a brand basically as the Dana White of sports broadcast,” Whitlock said in a recent Instagram reel. “Dana White has an I don’t care attitude that works well with his audience and keeps him safe from virtually any criticism.
I think Pat McAfee’s following that same blueprint. It may not be worth the UFC. Pat owns his own company.”

ESPN’s “surrender” may not have been finalized yet, but McAfee could be in line for another massive payday. His new deal could reportedly go north of $60 million to $65 million annually.

Unlike traditional contracts, this arrangement is built around licensing and production, allowing McAfee to retain ownership.

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On the one hand, the $3 billion equity swap and NFL rights expansion meant that there would be layoffs across the network, affecting big names like Ryan Clark, Damien Woody, Tom Pelissero, Cam Newton, Bart Scott, Stephania Bell, and Charles Davis.

This comes back to the brand that McAfee has built. For him, this played out very differently. The show itself started on the platform, debuting in 2019, and has already become a household staple. This is where the Dana White comparison begins to make sense as well.

Just like White, McAfee has ownership and control of his product, which, in turn, gives him leverage. This has been visible in the reported negotiations around the contract extension that ESPN will likely sign for airing rights.