Stephen A Smith Net Worth: American sports journalist, sports radio host, and sports television personality Stephen Anthony Smith all work in the sports industry. He co-hosts ESPN’s First Take as a pundit with Molly Qerim. He frequently appears on Sports Center as an NBA expert.
Smith also contributes to ESPN’s NBA Countdown and NBA programs as an NBA commentator. On ESPN Radio, he hosted The Stephen A. Smith Show. Smith writes a regular piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer, ESPNNY.com, and ESPN.com. Likewise, now we can see people searching for Stephen A Smith Net Worth.
How Rich Is Stephen A. Smith?
American sports media personality Stephen A. Smith is worth $16 million. The most well-known instances of Stephen A. Smith are when he appears on different ESPN shows. He also writes and contributes to The Philadelphia Inquirer and the websites of ESPN.
Another field where Stephen A. Smith has achieved significant success is talk radio. In addition, Smith has appeared in many films as an actor, typically in a cameo role in which he portrays himself. Likewise, now we can see people searching for Stephen A Smith Net Worth.
Stephen A. Smith’s Salary
Stephen A. Smith received a $5 million annual payment for many years before April 2019. He received a new contract with ESPN in the middle of April 2019 that pays $8 million a year, making him the highest-paid ESPN personality.
That contract made him the highest-paid sportscaster in the world for just over a year before Tony Romo’s enormous $17 million a year CBS deal, which was inked in March 2020, surpassed him. Likewise, now we can see people searching for Stephen A Smith Net Worth.
Who Is Stephen A Smith?
Stephen A. Smith was born in the Bronx, New York, to a hardware shop owner’s father. Stephen’s father was a well-known basketball and baseball player before opening the hardware store. He was the second-youngest of six children who were also reared with him.
He was born in 1967. Smith developed a love for basketball at a young age and was able to attend Winston-Salem State University thanks to a basketball scholarship. He studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology for a year before enrolling at WSSU.
He played basketball for Clarence Gaines during his college career. Stephen A. Smith probably learned a ton of basketball-related insight and strategy due to this event. Smith was not scared to criticize his coach despite his notoriety and popularity publicly.
When Smith was nearing his senior year of college, he wrote for the school newspaper and suggested that Gaines retire due to his deteriorating health. In 1991, Stephen A. Smith earned his university degree.
When Did Stephen A Smith Start His Journalism Career?
After graduating from college, Stephen A. Smith worked as a sports department clerk for the Winston-Salem Journal, his first significant journalism position. This job would end up being the starting point for future success.
Soon enough, he was getting hired for increasingly important positions at periodicals like the New York Daily News and Greensborough News and Record. However, when The Philadelphia Inquirer employed him, he experienced his most success.
Philadelphia Inquirer
As an NBA journalist for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Stephen A. Smith first centered solely on the Philadelphia 76ers, but over time, his responsibilities increased. He received two promotions over the years, eventually landing a job as a general sports columnist. The Philadelphia Inquirer opted to fire him in 2008 even though he gained a sizable following through the magazine.
After starting his blog, Smith won a lawsuit against his former employer two years later. The decision mandated that The Philadelphia Inquirer rehire Smith and that he erase all political and personal viewpoints from his writing. Likewise, now we can see people searching for Stephen A Smith Net Worth.
ESPN
Stephen A. Smith started working for ESPN in 2003, and his first position there was as an analyst for NBA Shootaround, a pregame show that eventually changed its name to NBA Countdown. Two years later, he began hosting his program, Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith. The program ended in 2007.
The Stephen A. Smith Show, his daily program, was also granted to him. Despite this, he is most likely well-known to sports fans for his work on ESPN’s First Take, which he joined in 2012. The ESPN programs Dream Job, Pardon the Interruption, Jim Rome is Burning, and Sportscenter is just a few that Stephen A. Smith has been on.
Smith committed to a contract in 2014 that would pay him $3 million annually. ESPN paid Stephen A. Smith $5 million from 2015 through April 2019. Smith reportedly agreed to a new contract with ESPN in April 2019 that will pay him $8 to $10 million annually through 2021. These figures demonstrate that Smith is one of ESPN’s highest-paid TV personalities.
Acting Career
Beginning with his performance at General Hospital, Stephen A. Smith has played various acting roles. Smith has been a lifelong fan of the program and has made several guest appearances. Smith appeared in Chris Rock’s 2007 film I Think I Love My Wife. The television personality has additionally appeared in many Oberto beef jerky advertisements.
Radio Career
Stephen A. Smith has devoted much of his career to talk radio. In 2005, he started his radio career at WEPN in New York City. Later, ESPN Radio carried the second part of the program. Smith began contributing to Fox Sports Radio in 2009 and subsequently took over as presenter of the morning show.
Smith quit ESPN Radio in 2013 to work for Chris Russo’s Mad Dog Sports Channel on Sirius/XM. Smith returned to ESPN in 2017, and the show is currently broadcast on Sirius/XM. He received $1 million per year from his Sirius/XM radio show from 2015 to 2019. Likewise, now we can see people searching for Stephen A Smith Net Worth.
Controversy
The commentary of Stephen A. Smith is renowned for being direct, grim, and unflinching. The “straight-up” strategy used by Stephen has generated a lot of controversies. The subject of his remarks regarding domestic abuse concerning an NFL player and his wife may be the most well-known talking point. As a result, the commentator was momentarily suspended.
The assertion made by Stephen A. Smith that an NFL coach’s choices were motivated by racial bias also raised eyebrows. After seeing a highlight video of women’s soccer from the FIFA World Cup, the commentator once more got into trouble when he made derogatory remarks.
What Is Happening In Stephen A Smith’s Personal Life?
Stephen A. Smith has never been married despite being 50 years old. Even though his two daughters are only a year apart, little is known about them. Smith hasn’t revealed anything about his dating history because he keeps his personal affairs private. Do you want to learn more about celebrities? Visit our website, Newswatchlist.com, for the most recent news.
