As ESPN heads into an unknown universe given consumer and industry trends, clear patterns have emerged around corporate investment in on-air talent. The company has paid significant sums to people they see as brands, or those that provide hours of inventory. Stephen A. Smith, Pat McAfee and a handful of others represent this on the opinion side. Troy Aikman, Joe Buck and Kirk Herbstreit would be examples on the remote broadcast side. There are others, but it is an exclusive club.
It’s not that everyone else is in the same income bracket outside of those above — salaries will always be different based on experience, leverage and your sport of expertise — but any on-air talent in 2023 that provides versatility has inherent advantages. This is certainly true as ESPN and other media outlets attempt to scale back salary.
Andraya Carter is an interesting case within this paradigm. At 29, she represents, in many ways, the future of ESPN talent. She has rightfully received terrific reviews as a basketball analyst, a former player at Tennessee who can break down in engaging terms why things are happening on the court. She’s had a lot of reps as a women’s basketball analyst, but she’s far from just that. Her other broadcast assignments include working as a sideline reporter…
