Pat McAfee reflects on humble beginnings ahead of $85,000,000 ESPN move - "We started in a basement"
Pat McAfee's media journey began back in the fall of 2019 when "The Pat McAfee Show" debuted. Since then, the show has gained a massive following on YouTube and on Twitter.
McAfee recently looked back at his journey, which has been nothing short of spectacular. His show has found a new home on ESPN starting September 7th:
"Hey, we're really fu**ing doing it. You know? We as a team really started in a basement. Haunted one.I mean, I hadn't been there for five years. You know what I mean? Like it was way up there… But I went down in the basement did the whole thing. I went into the room that we used for recording."
"And I did like, sit there for like, I had like a 15-minute… It was a sh*thole, sure. And it was very quiet eerie. And there was a little bit of like a spiderweb hanging over. You know what I mean? That whole thing was happening. But I sat there and thought like, hey, we did it. We should be pumped about that."
McAfee concluded:
"And the little things like having Schefter and Rapport on the same show is like, progression here. And like becoming a common sensical sports coverage thing. And I think we're going to keep chipping away."
Pat McAfee inked a five-year, $85 million deal to join ESPN. The eight-year NFL veteran, who spent his entire career with Indianapolis Colts, will host live shows on Fridays during the fall.
As per the deal, he will do 230 shows per year for ESPN and its YouTube channel. It will also be available on the ESPN+ streaming service.
Why did Pat McAfee Leave FanDuel for ESPN?
A huge reason for the move from Fan Duel to ESPN was access to better resources. McAfee, co-host A.J. Hawk, as well as the producers, will retain creative control of the show. Usage of profanity is also expected to be toned down.
Pat McAfee explained how ESPN has pulled out all stops to help his show thrive while speaking with Andrew Marchand of the New York Post:
"Their production assets, league rights capabilities, and access to everything in the sports world makes us incredibly pumped about the possibilities and can’t wait to get started this fall."
The 36-year-old is leaving behind a $120 million deal he signed with FanDuel nearly 18 months ago. Time will tell if McAfee moving his show to ESPN was the right decision.