New network, same old Pat McAfee.
The ex-NFL punter-turned-sports media star confirmed his move to ESPN on Tuesday in a video lampooning the idea it would force “The Pat McAfee Show” to change its ways.
“Wa ain’t changing a damn thing,” he said in an almost six-minute video announcement on Twitter. “That was literally the starter for every conversation with everybody this Up To Something Season.”
That means co-host A.J. Hawk will remain, as will the popular “Toxic Table” and everything else that comes with the show — even Aaron Rodgers Tuesday.
The Post’s Andrew Marchand first broke the news of McAfee exiting his four-year, $120 million deal with FanDuel in its second year to make the ESPN leap in a multimillion-dollar deal.
McAfee was already working with the network as a regular on “College GameDay” and on college football alt-broadcasts with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions for ESPN.
According to McAfee, there were four networks/streaming platforms vying for his show and it provided an opportunity for the 36-year-old to get a sense of how his operation fits into the bigger picture.
Pat McAfee confirmed Tuesday he is bringing his show to ESPN.Pat McAfee Show“What I discovered in these negotiations — that I represented us in — is that our show is what a lot of these suit folk are viewing as the future of daily sports talk,” he said. “I think that’s a really cool thing. A few years back, none of these networks would even give me a meeting.
“Now, we’re the tip of the spear of what sports media needs to be in its next chapter.”
Beginning in the fall, “The Pat McAfee Show” will air simultaneously on ESPN, ESPN+ and the ESPN YouTube page, slotted in after “Get Up” and “First Take.”
There will be at least a little buttoning up of the show’s metaphorical shirt.
“Our show will also be on in every airport, cafe, restaurant, house, etc, with the incomparable power of ESPN. Out of respect for that, we have decided we won’t be saying ‘f–k’ nearly as much, but every other word is good to go… everything else will be good,” McAfee said. “We will still have full creative control of the program — why would ESPN want to license our show and then change it entirely? That makes no sense.”
