ESPN President Reflects on Pat McAfee and Aaron Rodgers

We’re still not at the one-year anniversary of Pat McAfee joining ESPN in one of the more jarring moves in the network’s storied history. During that time, McAfee has generated countless headlines as a newsmaking interviewer and controversial talent. This reality doesn’t seem to bother ESPN chair Jimmy Pitaro.

Looking back on the initial months of The Pat McAfee Show airing on ESPN, Pitaro acknowledged both the positive impact and the challenges faced. We knew licensing Pat’s show would make some people uncomfortable, and as we head on this path and on this journey with ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ there are going to be issues. And we address those issues as they come and as they arise, and we address them internally, Pitaro told SBJ’s Mollie Callihane.

Despite these bumps in the road, the viewership data affirms McAfee’s success in his target demographic. We are in a battle for people’s time, and as a part of that, we are trying to attract a younger audience, Pitaro elaborated. Pat does just that. He is authentic, and he resonates with younger people. That is confirmed by our research; we see it consistently that he is moving the needle.

The relationship between McAfee and some ESPN executives has been tense, not least due to controversies linked to high-profile figures like Aaron Rodgers. Notably, a heated exchange between McAfee and former executive Norby Williamson received significant attention earlier this year. Following Rodgers’ contentious comments on-air, scrutiny over meandering interviews intensified, revealing internal conflicts within the network.

Furthermore, McAfee’s clash with Stephen A. Smith also made headlines. According to reports from New York Post’s Ryan Glasspiegel, tempers flared in an explosive argument between the two personalities over creative differences related to an unannounced project from Smith’s production company.

Pitaro emphasized that these controversies are part of the tradeoff for having such a valuable brand as McAfee’s associated with ESPN. As Pitaro noted, managing these issues is crucial as they integrate young audiences into their viewer base.