$10 Million – Stephen A. Smith
According to Stephan A. Smith, they weren’t in Archdale, North Carolina, like he was, “They weren’t in Archdale, North Carolina, like I was, living on tuna fish and Kool-Aid, doing editorial assistance work during the day and at night covering high school sports in North Carolina for zero,” In his journey from subsisting on fish to becoming the highest-paid on-air sports personality on ESPN, Smith has come a long way. He began building his reputation early on with the ESPN show Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith, but his primary focus now is the First Take television show.
$1.5 Million – Rachel Nichols
Rachel Nichols, an ESPN sports broadcaster, earns a whopping $1.5 million per year, according to Hollywood Mask magazine. When she graduated from college, she began working in sports journalism, initially as a sports reporter for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Since 2004, she has been a part of the ESPN family, where she has appeared on Sportscenter, Monday Night Countdown and other programs. Nichols has returned to ESPN after a brief stint at CNN, and his net worth is estimated to be $10 million.