Avast, ye scallywags! ESPN be walkin' the plank, for Pat McAfee's new show be plunderin' me own style!
2023-09-12
"Arrr, me hearties! This scallywag Dan Le Batard reckons there be a likeness betwixt his own show and the likes o' Pat McAfee at ESPN, but fears his politickin' blabber would not be welcomed aboard that ship, aye!"
Dan Le Batard, founder of Meadowlark Media and former ESPN employee, noticed similarities between ESPN's new college football simulcast featuring Pat McAfee and his own show. Le Batard saw McAfee and his crew on "The Pat McAfee Show" during the Texas-Alabama game, where they had a fun broadcast with special guests like Matthew McConaughey. McAfee's show debuted on ESPN last week, and he also appeared on "College GameDay" before the simulcast. Le Batard acknowledges that McAfee's show has a similar entertaining formula to his own, but he believes ESPN may not have allowed him to play the same role due to his politics. Le Batard claims that after the George Floyd incident, focus groups indicated that his show should avoid politics. Despite this, Le Batard admires McAfee's success and story, as he bet on himself and pursued a career in sports media after his NFL punting career. Le Batard points out that ESPN chose McAfee's style over his own and his co-hosts like Bomani Jones and Sarah Spain. Le Batard predicts that McAfee's show will be wildly successful, as it aligns with ESPN's investments and will attract large audiences. Le Batard believes that his own politics would have prevented him from achieving the same success. Le Batard's podcasts were acquired by DraftKings for a reported $50 million deal over three years. McAfee, on the other hand, left FanDuel TV for ESPN in a deal worth over $85 million for the next five years.