The roller coaster of ESPN staffing news continued today, as NFL analyst Mina Kimes is set for what’s reported to be a massive new deal. The agreement is worth more than $1.7 million, according to the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand, and puts Kimes over seven figures for the first time.
“Kimes’ role with ESPN will basically stay the same,” reported Marchand. She will be featured on NFL Live and make other appearances on the network’s shows.
Additionally, Dan Le Batard announced this morning that Kimes had signed a new deal with former ESPN boss John Skipper’s Meadowlark Media. She will continue to appear on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.”
Kimes will also reportedly continue her podcast, which is produced by Omaha Productions as part of the Peyton Manning-led company’s partnership with ESPN.
The announcements come one day after longtime football analyst Chris Mortensen announced his retirement, about a week after the network declined to renew the contract of College Football Live host Wendi Nix, a little under a month after popular SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett announced his departure after 23 years and about six weeks months after ESPN cut its national morning radio show with Keyshawn Johnson, Jay Williams and Max Kellerman, dropped NBA analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson and a dozen others in a round of layoffs.
The ESPN budget cuts are part of the overall Disney budget slashing that has seen the company attempt to shed 7,000 jobs.
Meanwhile, the company has been hiring or expanding the roles of others. It gave a broader remit to longtime SportsCenter host Scott Van Pelt, upped NBA analyst Doris Burke to the network’s top-tier games, hired former Sixers coach Doc Rivers, brought Shannon Sharpe on as a foil for Stephen A. Smith and, in possibly the biggest move, brought The Pat McAfee Show to the Disney-owned network.