ESPN Employee Kendrick Perkins Has 3 Words for Shannon Sharpe’s Blockbuster Deal With $24 Billion Worth Network

Two days a week. That’s all it took The Most Entertaining (Personality) in Sports Media and ESPN First Take‘s professional debater, Shannon Sharpe, to take over American household’s morning routines. With an acumen for all things sports and entertainment, Sharpe’s entry into the show on September 4, last year, was one for the history books.

His debut episode averaged a staggering 754,000 viewers. It was the second-most viewed episode of 2023 (behind the Feb. 13 one after the Super Bowl LVII) with a 30% increase from the year prior. So, there was no reason why he wouldn’t be expected to come back. Less than a year after joining the popular debate show (that airs Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until noon EST), the three-time Super Bowl Champion has signed a multi-year extension that will also see him appear on other shows in the ESPN network. And naturally, no one was more excited than his co-worker, Kendrick Perkins.

Sharpe shared an Instagram post announcing the news: “Blessed beyond measure 🙏🏾. I’m thankful for anyone who’s ever taken a chance or believed in me! The show is just getting started & I got my seat! 🎙️‼️” Promptly, Perkins celebrated the milestone and extended his best wishes, writing, “Congratulations my brother!!!! EARNED not Given 💯🤞🏾”. 

The former Denver Broncos player also shared his gratitude on the move and said in an official statement, “Being a part of this family has been a blessing… Everything about this relationship with ESPN, Stephen A., and First Take, has been tremendous. I look forward to expanding my role…” Sharpe has seen his net worth rise to an estimated $14 million due to his massive success over the past few years. While the details of his latest contract have not been revealed yet, it is believed he wouldn’t be earning as much as ESPN’s top dog, Stephen A. Smith, who signed a $12 million a year deal, in 2019.

The former football tight end has been in the media industry since he first joined CBS Sports in 2004. Since then, he has adorned many hats, starting from being Sirius NFL Radio’s Opening Drive morning program host to being a columnist for Men Magazine. His big broadcasting break, though, came in 2016 when he joined FS1’s Undisputed, alongside Skip Bayless, bringing in high viewership numbers ranging over 100k views per episode.

However, the duo’s relationship soured in front of the public eye, putting an end to the partnership. But what exactly happened between the two?

Sharpe hasn’t lost any sleep over his ‘Undisputed’ exit!

All’s well that’s ends well. Well, not for FS1’s Skip Bayless though! For fans who had grown to love Sharpe and Bayless’ banters, 2023 didn’t have the best of starts. After years of debating (and actually arguing), it reached a tipping point when Bayless took a personal dig at Sharpe’s career in December 2022. “[Brady]’s way better than you were. Way better,” the 72-year-old had said, which served as the final nail in the coffin.

But, was it really Sharpe’s loss or Bayless’ and FS1’s? Well, the numbers seem to tilt the scale toward the 55-year-old. After Sharpe joined First Take, the show’s viewership numbers reportedly went up by 237% vs his former show. During the Labor Day episode alone, First Take hit 512,000 viewers, in comparison to 131,000 for Undisputed, adding to its 22-month streak of year-over-year growth.

Now, add to that, Sharpe’s podcast, Club Shay Shay, which he started in 2020, and the prospects for the veteran as a broadcaster kept expanding. His interview with comedian Katt Williams, which aired on January 3 this year, racked in over 70 millions views and reportedly increased his subscriber count (by more than half a million) and even his net worth!

Talking about financial gains, he had revealed during one of his podcast episodes on Nightcap, back in March: “Everybody was talking about how much money I made doing the Katt Williams interview…I just got the check. So whatever you think I made, three X it. So if you think I made 500,000, three X it. If you think I made a million, three X it. If you think I made 2 million, three X it. I made more money on Katt Williams alone than I made in any year that I played the NFL.”

Notably, the Denver Broncos’ tight-end made $22.3 million in career earnings before his retirement in 2003. His best year was in 1999, when he had a base salary of $2.25 million. So, surely, Unc isn’t losing any sleep over his separation. But he did have some insights regarding the “disrespect” he endured from his former co-host Skip Bayless.

In a conversation with his current First Take partner Stephen A. Smith, he had said, “A lot of that is my fault. Because there were times that led up to that that I felt shots were taken and I let it go. And I should’ve said something then, but I didn’t. And I would bring it to people’s attention, and they brushed it up under the rug” “I think in any relationship where there’s host, co-host… once one partner has no respect for the other, the other partner then in turn loses respect for said partner. Then, I think it’s only a matter of time,” Unc had further said last year.

Looks like Shannon Sharpe has let bygones be bygones as his future looks set at ESPN. Are you excited?

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.