Following Zach Lowe’s shocking exit from ESPN, Stephen A. Smith‘s opportunities for an expansion with the media house looked extremely bright. Despite his monumental demands, the sportscaster is probably prolonging his stay with ESPN. Without breaking the ice, Stephen A. hinted at landing on the positive side of ESPN. At the same time, he intends to keep running his own show, which has garnered attention for addressing controversial topics. Smith believes he is obliged to give the audience and the organization what they have signed up for, and he made it clear during a recent interview.

“I’m a businessman and I’m thinking about the business of Stephen A. Smith. I’m not thinking about Stephen A. Smith, the employee. I’m thinking about straight shooter production, straight shooter media, and the kind of aspirations that I have,” the veteran told Lucas Shaw on Bloomberg Live.

Well, if you’re thinking that the analyst will stay away from sports discussion, then hold that thought. Clarifying his decision, Smith further stated, “That doesn’t mean that I want to go away, that I want to stop doing sports, that I want to stop working for the people that I work for. His own show, The Stephen A. Smith Show, serves as a platform for him to address the controversies surrounding him. From P Diddy to Will Smith and Chris Rock to even the Presidential election, nothing is off limits in his show. And he just wants it to grow more and more.

Labeling himself as a businessman, Smith expressed that the media world knows that he wants to grow. “They are keenly aware of the fact that I have a strong desire to expand. I’ve done you will see me on NewsNation a week before the election night doing a town hall. You’ve seen me on CNN. You’ve seen me on Fox News. You’ve seen me being interviewed by political commentators and what have you.”

And without mentioning much details, Smith highlighted that the talks with ESPN are in the right direction as of now. His confidence is backed up by his recent comparison with NFL star Dak Prescot as contract talks move on.

Stephen A. Smith compares himself with Dak Prescot amid contract talk

Love him or hate him, whenever Stephen A. talks, it becomes news. Capitalizing on the pull of the veteran analyst, ESPN is looking to extend his contract after the reported demand from SAS. During his recent appearance on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace, Smith addressed the rumors when asked about them. “The word on the street is that you want something in the range of $100 million for five years… True?”, Wallace asked, and the reply couldn’t have been more like Stephen A. Smith.

“I ask, respectfully, pay attention to the industry, see what people are getting paid. See how much money they’re making and what they’re bringing to the table. Dak Prescott just signed a contract for $240 million. He’s making $60 million a year,” Smith said. His point was simple; if Dak can make $100+ million for making two playoff games in eight years, then his CV of 12 years should have a better chance of landing a similar deal.

Although the details of the current negotiation remain undisclosed, sources estimate the contract value at around that amount. According to him, he’s the reason why ESPN makes money rather than being the reason for their financial loss in recent times. So he deserves the bag and SAS believes it wholeheartedly.