Why did WWE commentator Pat McAfee leave Barstool Sports?
Pat McAfee is currently signed with WWE as a color commentator alongside Michael Cole on Friday Night SmackDown. Besides that, McAfee is a businessman, sports analyst, host of The Pat McAfee Show and former NFL player.
After playing eight years for the Indianapolis Colts, McAfee decided to retire from the NFL as he wanted to pursue a career in sports media. So, the former West Virginia Mountaineer quit football before he could receive a multimillion deal from the company.
After departing from the NFL, McAfee decided to join a blog-based company Barstool Sports. The SmackDown commentator ran a show on Barstool Radio called Power 85 on the Sirius XM Channel.
What is Barstool Sports?
Barstool Sports is a digital media company founded by David Portonoy in 2003. The company is primarily headquartered in New York.
Barstool Sports creates innovative content with massive distribution on multiple platforms, including web, apps, podcasts, radio, video, social, events, pay-per-view, subscriptions, and TV to an incredibly engaged audience.
Just two years after signing the contract with Barstool Sports, McAfee and Barstool decided to part ways. Following his exit, the podcaster released a statement on why he left the company. He stated:
“Financial decisions were being made for me by people I had never met, deals were getting made and pulled without my knowledge, The transparency of everything became obsolete, and also very expensive. I do not place any blame or hold any grudge towards Erika and Dave for this. They’ve been nothing but nice and fair to me. They paid me very well. This is below them. I began being disrespected by the business people in the building. I don’t want to make money for these folks anymore.”
My time at @barstoolsports will be one I reflect upon fondly. Sometimes adult stuff gets in the way. I’m officially a free agent. https://t.co/ON5KwnFzjc
The prime reason for McAfee's exit was that the personalities of the company didn't respect the SmackDown commentator.
McAfee has currently signed a four-year deal with FanDuel and is obligated to receive $30 million per year.
Will McAfee defeat Austin Theory at WrestleMania 38?
.@PatMcAfeeShow will return to the squared circle at #WrestleMania 38 in a battle against @austintheory1!
ms.spr.ly/6017wkFfN https://t.co/tvRZCN1hG4
Vince McMahon invited Pat McAfee to compete at the Showcase of Immortals during an episode of the Pat McAfee Show.
On an episode of SmackDown, Austin Theory, Vince McMahon's prodigy, announced himself as the opponent of the former NFL player. Since then, both superstars have been locking horns together.
This will be the first match at WrestleMania for McAfee.