Could Maria Taylor be the next big name to depart from ESPN?
According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Taylor’s contract expires on July 20 and the two sides have yet to come to a new agreement.
Marchand reports that at one point in negotiations, ESPN offered Taylor a raise that would eventually reach almost $5 million per year. That’s quite the uptick from her current salary of nearly $1 million per year. The NBA Finals host and College Football reporter turned down the offer.
Source told Marchand that Taylor was looking for “Stephen A. Smith money.” Smith currently makes around $8 million annually.
ESPN’s initial offer near $5 million came during last year’s pandemic, but a lot has changed at the Wide World of Sports since, with a number of big names being asked to take pay cuts.
The Post notes that while ESPN still wants to keep Taylor, the initial offer is off the table and Taylor’s current offer sits around the $2 million-$3 million range.
Marchand points out that Taylor’s current ESPN responsibilities include hosting “NBA Countdown.” The NBA Finals could go until July 22 depending on the length of the series, which means ESPN could be in a tough situation if the two sides can’t agree on a deal before her contract expires on July 20.
