Sep 14, 2026 · 26 min
McAfee reshapes ESPN as MS NOW bets on paid digital news
Media Monday: McAfee, Inc. & MS NOW’s Subscription Bet
The episode examines two competing media bets: creator-owned sports power commanding premium economics and a news brand trying to turn online reach into subscriptions.
- 1ESPN is paying Pat McAfee’s creator-owned operation $60 million annually, favoring partnership economics over a traditional anchor salary.
- 2MS NOW’s $7.99 membership must offer more than familiar personalities to convert cord-neutral digital audiences into paying subscribers.
- 3The Cheddar comparison highlights how broad distribution can attract attention and advertisers without guaranteeing a durable audience business.
Don't miss
The hosts’ comparison between ESPN’s $60 million annual deal for McAfee’s creator-owned operation and a conventional anchor salary captures the episode’s sharpest media-business insight.
The brief
Jon Kelly and Peter Hamby begin with Pat McAfee’s expanding role at ESPN, from College GameDay to Monday Night Football, and the power that comes with owning the production operation.
The central contrast is economic: ESPN pays McAfee’s creator-owned business $60 million annually, while Stephen A. Smith represents the more familiar salary-based star model.
The conversation then turns to MS NOW’s planned $7.99 monthly membership and its challenge: converting audiences for Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, and other personalities into paying members.
MS NOW is distinguished from CNN Plus, but the hosts question what extra value a mobile viewer gets when newsletters, podcasts, creators, and digital-native outlets already compete for attention.
Cheddar serves as the cautionary comparison: its broad distribution and aggressive advertising pitch created visibility, but the hosts question whether that translated into a sufficiently large audience business.
The episode’s broader argument is that linear television still has value, but media companies increasingly need creator relationships and direct payment models to reach audiences beyond cable households.