Pat McAfee , who joined ESPN in a blockbuster 2023 deal, bridled at the question of whether “journalistic standards” should apply to his show. Appearing on a panel with other on-air talent during a media day hosted Wednesday by the Disney division at its Bristol, CT campus, McAfee took exception to one reporter’s invocation of the phrase. The question appeared to be an effort to assess the settling-in process for all parties, and whether news-focus staffers had any concerns about the non-traditional setup for McAfee.
Unlike conventional talent deals, the former NFL kicker’s wildly popular YouTube show was licensed to ESPN (for a reported $85 million). It continues to run on YouTube while blocks of it are also simulcast on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+. “Define journalistic standards,” McAfee shot back at the reporter, CNBC’s Alex Sherman.
Recognizing and correcting mistakes would be one aspect of it, Sherman ventured. The host went on to cite numerous instances of what he deemed unfair coverage of his show, calling out one reporter before scanning the room to see if a representative of the website Awful Announcing was present. McAfee blasted the site for “ripping” videos from his show in a bid for traffic.
In addition, he said, the site highlights quotes “completely out of context.” As a result, he cited a negative impact on “future earnings, with slander, libel, character assassination, stolen clips, all that s–t. If I ever wanted to deal with suits, w.