One of the reasons ESPN wanted to align with Peyton Manning and his Omaha Productions is because Manning can close deals. A perfect example is the new agreement for the sought-after Pat McAfee to do his own “ManningCasts,” alternative broadcasts for six big-time college football games, that will air on ESPN2.
1. McAfee has had talks with Amazon and ESPN, according to sources. For Amazon, it was for a variety of specialty shows including “Thursday Night Football.” With ESPN, there were discussions about returning to “College GameDay.” McAfee told The Post that he wouldn’t necessarily rule out a future deal with Amazon or GameDay, but …
“I’ve had great conversations with both companies, we just weren’t able to get to a point where ‘the ask’ and ‘the business’ were where it needed to be to get a deal done on both fronts,” McAfee said. “My daily show is my No. 1 focus.”
2. McAfee’s business model is perfectly aligned with modern media. The “Pat McAfee Show” has a direct-to-consumer platform through YouTube and social media. It has a paid audio deal with SiriusXM. McAfee is on broadcast TV with WWE’s “Friday Night Smackdown” on Fox. Now he returns to cable, where he has previously been on ESPN.
