Rick Reilly's Contract With ESPN, It's Umm Big

Wednesday, October 24, 2007


I was reading through a quick interview that The Big Lead did with Rick Reilly yesterday where they quoted him as saying the money ESPN paid him is "redonkulous", and I began to ask a few folks what they thought he was making now at the leader. Well that answer is out, and it's a ton of money....

$10 million over 5 years.

So how did ESPN get the highest paid writer ever? They just doubled his yearly salary. Not only does ESPN cover the Yankees more than any other team....they're turning into them! Good lord that's a lot of money...

Reilly was said to be the highest paid writer in the history of Sports Illustrated parent Time Inc., with a $1 million annual contract that covered five years.

SI was said to be willing to go as high as $1.5 million a year - or $7.5 million over the life of the next five-year contract - to keep him happy. But with Time Inc. unable to offer Reilly a TV network gig, he was a goner - jumping at the reputed five-year, $10 million package offered by ESPN.

"It's tough leaving SI after 23 years, but I just had this itch I had to scratch," he said, speaking of his urge to do TV.
Hell yeah that's an itch....a $2 million dollar a year itch. No wonder Reilly was getting hammered and making out with some blond chick at and LSU game earlier this year.

Rick Reilly Talks to Us About His Career at SI and Move to ESPN (The Big Lead)
Former SI Columnist Reverses Field To Bright Light Of ESPN (NY Post)

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 1:14 PM

3 Comments:

who are those kids? espn's rowdy friends?

Anonymous said...
Oct 24, 2007, 1:46:00 PM  

Is he expected to do anything on TV? I saw him on Letterman a couple months ago and he seemed to be eating it up.

Oct 24, 2007, 2:16:00 PM  

2 million dollars for one page per issue??? ugh.

GMoney said...
Oct 24, 2007, 3:59:00 PM  

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