Stephen A. Smith's Yearly Earnings Revealed in Report After 5-Year ESPN Contract

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is reportedly raking in cash following his five-year contract with the worldwide leader in sports.

Per The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, Smith "is pushing $40 million a year in earnings" thanks to his deal with ESPN and his other media endeavors.

Marchand explained that Smith's five-year deal with ESPN totals $105 million, and sources said his contract with SiriusXM is for three years and $36 million. That gives him a base salary of $33 million per year from his two main employers, and the revenue from his YouTube channel and podcast likely pushes his yearly earnings to nearly $40 million.

Smith has long been one of the leading voices in sports media, but he's also beginning a foray into politics. On Wednesday night, he will launch his new two-hour weekly political talk show called "Straight Shooter with Stephen A." on SiriusXM's bipartisan POTUS ("Politics Of The United States") channel. While some view this as a way for Smith to set up a future career in politics as more than just a pundit, Marchand stated that he's simply expanding his media reach.

"Smith, 57, has been mentioned as a potential future presidential candidate, but with that job paying $400,000 a year, it seems highly unlikely he would attempt that for a while, if ever. He is entrepreneurial and wants to expand his horizon in business and in the opinion game," Marchand explained. "He has been into politics for a little while, sharing his thoughts on his podcast, along with appearances on Fox News, NewsNation and other forums."

Despite his busy schedule, Smith's new ventures won't interfere with his duties for ESPN, which now include hosting First Take after Molly Qerim's sudden exit. Growing his platform outside of sports won't be an easy task, but his $40 million annual salary will certainly motivate him to embrace the challenge.