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How Much Does Stephen A. Smith Make a Year? Reported Earnings Explained

Stephen A. Smith’s roughly $40 million annual earnings figure is a rounded media estimate, not a confirmed salary. Here’s how the reported ESPN, SiriusXM and podcast amounts compare with official announcements.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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Stephen A. Smith’s annual earnings have been reported at about $39 million—often rounded to $40 million—but that figure is an estimate assembled from multiple reported income streams, not a salary ESPN or SiriusXM has confirmed. The Associated Press separately reported that Smith’s ESPN renewal was worth at least $100 million over five years, while ESPN’s announcement did not disclose its financial terms.

What is Stephen A. Smith’s reported annual income?

Sports Illustrated reported in 2025 that Smith earns about $39 million annually from three sources: ESPN, SiriusXM and his podcast. Its breakdown was $20 million a year from ESPN, approximately $12 million a year from SiriusXM, and $7 million a year from the podcast. The headline figure of $40 million is a rounded version of that reported total.

Those component figures were attributed to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, as reported by Sports Illustrated. They are not official disclosures by ESPN or SiriusXM, and the podcast amount is likewise part of the media-reported estimate rather than an independently confirmed figure. See Sports Illustrated’s account of the reported figures.

How much is Stephen A. Smith’s ESPN contract worth?

ESPN announced a multi-year renewal on March 7, 2025. Smith said he would remain with the Disney/ESPN family “for, at least, the next five years.” The release described his continued role on weekday First Take and appearances across ESPN programming, but gave no compensation figure. ESPN’s announcement is the primary source for the renewal and term.

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The Associated Press reported that the deal was worth at least $100 million over five years, citing a person familiar with the agreement. That source spoke anonymously and was not authorized to discuss the financial terms, so the figure is attributed reporting—not a number ESPN publicly confirmed. The AP report supplies that estimate.

What is known about the SiriusXM deal?

SiriusXM announced a multi-year agreement on June 4, 2025, covering two original shows and in-person subscriber events. Its announcement did not state a payment amount; the AP also reported that the terms were not disclosed.

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Sports Illustrated later reported the deal as three years and $36 million, or approximately $12 million annually, attributing the contract details to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. That reported breakdown is the basis for the SiriusXM amount in the $39 million estimate; SiriusXM has not publicly confirmed the price. SiriusXM’s announcement describes the partnership, while the attributed figures appear in the SI report.

What shows are part of the agreement?

SiriusXM’s September 2, 2025 launch announcement lists The Stephen A. Smith Show live on weekdays from 1–3 p.m. ET on Mad Dog Sports Radio, channel 82. Straight Shooter with Stephen A., focused on politics and culture, premiered September 17 and airs Wednesdays from 6–8 p.m. ET on P.O.T.U.S., channel 124. SiriusXM said the latter is also available as a podcast on major platforms and as a full-length YouTube video the next day. The official host page lists the weekday show’s schedule; schedules can change.

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How to interpret the $40 million figure

The figures describe different things and have different levels of confirmation. The ESPN number is an AP-reported multi-year contract floor; the annual ESPN and SiriusXM amounts and podcast revenue are components in a media-reported annual estimate. Adding those reported annual amounts produces $39 million, which explains the rounded $40 million headline, but does not establish a company-confirmed salary or guaranteed yearly take-home pay.

Income source Reported amount What the evidence establishes
ESPN At least $100 million over five years, per AP; separately, $20 million annually in SI’s reported breakdown ESPN confirmed a multi-year renewal and Smith said “at least” five years, but the company did not publish compensation. AP’s figure came from an unnamed person familiar with the deal; the annual amount is part of SI’s attributed reporting.
SiriusXM Three years and $36 million, or approximately $12 million annually, per SI SiriusXM confirmed a multi-year agreement for shows and subscriber events, not its price. SI attributed the contract details to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
Podcast $7 million annually, per SI Included in SI’s reported estimate; no official confirmation of the amount was identified.
Combined estimate $39 million annually, commonly rounded to $40 million SI’s sum of the reported annual components, not an official salary disclosure.

These reported amounts are gross earnings estimates, not a statement of Smith’s after-tax income. The cited announcements and reporting do not provide a net-worth calculation or enough information to determine taxes, representation costs, expenses, or other income.

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