Pat McAfee has had a hugely successful career away from sports, with his long-running sports show, “The Pat McAfee Show,” drawing millions of viewers over the years. He has also become a frequent presence on “College GameDay.”
WWE fans will recognize McAfee from his entertaining stint as a SmackDown commentator and occasional in-ring performer, including his match against Austin Theory at WrestleMania 38. While he may not be back on USA or Fox anytime soon, McAfee might soon grace sports’ most prominent network.
According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, ESPN is the leading candidate to host McAfee’s daily show, which has broadcast on YouTube under a $120 million deal with FanDuel. No deal has been finalized, but it’s expected to pay eight figures per year.
McAfee recently tweeted a photo of his meeting with Disney CEO Bob Iger, hinting at something brewing. The occasional WWE personality has also teased other hints about his future in the last few weeks.
On Monday’s edition of his show, McAfee said something would be announced in the next 10 days, which coincides with Disney upfronts on May 16. Upfronts often feature a network’s plans for the upcoming year, so a McAfee-headlined set of announcements would spark some excitement to land one of sports’ most popular personalities.
Since late last summer, McAfee has mostly been absent from WWE commentary due to the show, constructing a new headquarters for his operations, and his “College GameDay” panelist duties, meaning WWE fans shouldn’t expect an imminent commentary return from him. Wade Barrett has taken over as a SmackDown analyst alongside Michael Cole since October.
McAfee did, however, make a surprise appearance at WrestleMania 39 for a segment with The Miz, so it’s possible he occasionally pops up. But if an ESPN deal is on the way, the longtime NFL punter will be elsewhere more often than not.