Former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee is leaving FanDuel after agreeing a deal with ESPN worth more than $10 million per year.
McAfee worked with Barstool Sports, DAZN and SiriusXM before joining FanDuel on a $120 million, four-year contract in 2021.
The Pat McAfee Show was previously part if the Barstool network, but it became McAfee’s own property when he left the Boston-based business, which is now owned by Penn Entertainment.
He spent two years with FanDuel, but McAfee is now moving into mainstream media.
His show, which has more than 2 million YouTube subscribers, will be broadcast weekdays on ESPN, its YouTube channel and its mobile app.
McAfee will also appear on ESPN’s various digital and social platforms, while continuing to serve as a college football analyst on ESPN’s College GameDay.
“We are extremely honored that ESPN is blessing us with this opportunity to be a part of the next chapter of the ESPN family,” said McAfee.
“We are so incredibly pumped, honoured and thankful to be doing that. They all very much understood that we need to embrace both what tomorrow is and what today is and I have the exact same vision.”
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro added: “It’s a destination for athlete interviews and breaking news, and the centerpiece of a growing community of sports fans. We’re honored to bring Pat and the show to ESPN through a multifaceted, multiplatform approach.”
FanDuel, which recently launched its own TV network, may now need to find a high-profile replacement.
