Pat McAfee is set to make his ESPN debut on September 7 when The Pat McAfee Show officially moves to the media giant. McAfee's exit from FanDuel was one of several major talent moves that ESPN orchestrated this summer. A round of talent layoffs followed by a $2 billion betting partnership allowed ESPN to land both McAfee as well as Shannon Sharpe from Fox. Ahead of his debut, McAfee joined Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim on First Take to promote his new show.
The Pat McAfee Show will serve as the new follow-on from First Take during the weekday broadcasts. McAfee said he was "honored" to be following First Take in the schedule. "We're here to celebrate sports for two hours here on ESPN. And three hours on YouTube and ESPN+," McAfee explained when asked what fans could expect of the show. Furthermore, McAfee has some history with First Take. Molly Qerim used to co-host a 2am call-time show with McAfee while he was still active in the NFL.
Pat McAfee Officially Joins ESPN
ESPN announced that they had signed McAfee to a multi-year deal back in May. While McAfee already did color commentary for Thursday Night Football, the deal brought the full extent of his sizeable media empire to the network. “Pat is a proven talent,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in the statement. “He and his team have built The Pat McAfee Show into one of the most engaging programs in sports and all of media. 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.”
Furthermore, McAfee expressed his excitement about joining ESPN. “We are extremely honored that ESPN is blessing us with this opportunity to be a part of the next chapter of the ESPN family. We do not take that lightly and are going to work hard to make sure this is a success. All parties involved agree the time has come for a bunch of sports stooges in a Thunderdome in Indiana to sprinkle in some fun and celebration of sport as well.” However, McAfee assured fans that his show would remain largely the same, albeit with a little less profanity.
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