Report: Pat McAfee eyeing potential early end to $120m FanDuel deal
Sports media personality suggests intent to partner with broadcast network rather than continue deal with US market leader
US sports media personality Pat McAfee is ready to walk away from a $120m four-year contract with market leader FanDuel, media reports have claimed.
McAfee signed the four-year deal in January 2021 for a record $30m per year, with an opt-out clause after three years.
At the time, McAfee reportedly said he’d been paid an “absurd amount of money” to produce content for FanDuel.
However, in a recent Twitter post with a live feed to the Pat McAfee show, the former NFL player admitted he was looking to part ways with FanDuel out of a desire to reduce his workload.
We are exploring a lot of options right now#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/CoKDlDGkx9
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 15, 2023
McAfee told YouTube viewers: “To make my life easier, I’m exploring the options of maybe joining a network or a community that can help handle a lot of the stuff we’re running into. I’m very thankful for everything FanDuel and I have done and maybe even will do in the future.
“FanDuel understands that they have a TV channel, but they don’t have a network that alleviates a lot of the issues we currently have.”
McAfee continued: “These are just conversations that are happening; nothing is concrete. We’re going to be talking about this through March Madness. It’s just because there are conversations happening where there’s a chance the FanDuel relationship could jeopardize a conversation happening elsewhere.”
The 35-year-old sports celebrity hosts the Pat McAfee Show on YouTube, which has more than 800,000 subscribers. He also hosts a tri-weekly podcast with former Green Bay Packers linebacker AJ Hawk.
The Pat McAfee Show is currently distributed on SportsGrid, the 24-hour OTT sports betting channel, and TVG, FanDuel’s national television network dedicated to horseracing.
Additionally, McAfee’s highlighted clips and dedicated content are distributed by FanDuel across its digital properties, social media channels, and syndication network.
FanDuel offers special odds and unique promotions created by McAfee that offer customers the chance to engage with him throughout the year, and FanDuel operate a talent scouting and development network to build the next generation of influencers and personalities.
In recent weeks, McAfee has made a number of moves that suggest he could be splitting from the partnership.
A piece in the New York Post, which included a series of direct messages between the publication and the former Pro Bowl punter, reported McAfee was vague about his plans with FanDuel but that it was “all love” between him and the betting company. However, McAfee has recently removed the FanDuel logo from his show.
One network that McAfee is rumored to be talking to is Amazon.
In the direct messages published by the New York Post, McAfee wrote: “[There are] a lot of moving pieces right now. Not exactly sure where it all ends up. No beef, all love with FD (and you.) Just trying to make my show and life easier. I’ll have a lot more info and direction late next week, probably.”