Pat McAfee, Sarah Spain, Stephen A. Smith Pat McAfee, Sarah Spain, Stephen A. Smith. Edit via Liam McGuire

It’s a changing of the times at ESPN. The company is undergoing a transformation with the impending launch of its DTC service and its investment in big-name personalities that are sometimes licensed to appear on the network. And Sarah Spain has questions about what it means for ESPN’s reputation and credibility.

Spain worked for ESPN for several years as a writer and television personality, most prominently as a regular panelist on Around the Horn. She’s also established herself as an author and podcast host since leaving the network with her Good Game women’s sports podcast receiving honors and accolades. She has also spoken out about her former network’s decision-making, recently around ATH’s cancellation.

This week, Sarah Spain appeared on the Rapid Response podcast. In answering a question from host Bob Safian about ESPN’s new DTC service and the shifting landscape of the network’s programming strategy, Spain commented on the new realities she sees in Bristol. And she called out Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith for doing possible harm to the journalistic reputation of the network.

“If you look at ESPN’s decision-making around more influencer-type and former athlete-type content as opposed to journalistic content, that is unfortunate reacting to the world’s, I guess, demands and the speed and desires for the current younger consumer,” Spain said.

“But I do worry about how that impacts ESPN’s position in the industry. Because what separates them from everyone else is they’re the worldwide leader. If it’s on ESPN, it’s right. It’s accurate. It’s vetted. It’s journalistically sound. When you’ve got a Pat McAfee, who the show is produced elsewhere and dropped onto ESPN airwaves and they sort of wash their hands of the production and creation side of it. And they tell you it’s a little bit different but the viewer doesn’t know that. So when he goes on and says things that are factually incorrect, does stories that are, for instance, one he’s now being sued now for, for libel essentially, that aren’t vetted and aren’t sourced before he takes them in front of millions, that I think impacts how people view everything else on the network, even if it’s just subconsciously, right?” Spain added.

Pat McAfee has had numerous controversies in his short time on ESPN through the licensing of The Pat McAfee Show. But he also brings in a huge audience that skews younger and extends beyond linear airwaves to digital, social, and more. McAfee was sued for defamation by Brett Favre, although that was dropped in 2023 before he even made it to ESPN.

What Spain may be referring to is the controversy around his comments regarding Ole Miss student Mary Kate Cornett. Although Cornett’s side has hinted at a lawsuit coming in McAfee and ESPN’s direction, there has been nothing filed publicly. And neither ESPN nor McAfee have commented on it since.

Another target for Spain was omnipresent personality Stephen A. Smith. She highlighted the infamous moment where Smith talked about UFC boss Dana White, calling him a friend after being seen on video striking his wife.

“When they turn it on, do they still think Adam Schefter says is journalistically sound or does the fact that Pat McAfee’s on the same network, or Stephen A. Smith who will say, ‘oh I can’t talk about Dana White hitting his wife on camera, he’s a close personal friend of mine.’ That’s not how journalism works, right? When that starts to blur the lines, does the rest of what’s coming out on that network get harmed by it. And does it then prevent them from being separated from the pack in the way they used to be?… From my point of view, yes. And that concerns me.” Spain said.

Watching the clip back, Smith did address the Dana White video. However, he and the program were very soft on the UFC president and Smith even said he gave White a heads up that he would have to talk about it on the show.

Still, the point Sarah Spain make still remains. And it tells the story of the dilemma that ESPN faces at the moment. Even though they license programs like The Pat McAfee Show and personalities like Stephen A. Smith can say whatever they want on their own independent platforms, they will always be associated with ESPN and always represent ESPN no matter what else they do.

In a sense, ESPN has sacrificed the control that it used to have over its programming and personalities in order to do what it feels it needs to do to continue staying relevant as the Worldwide Leader in Sports. It’s been clear from its big money moves for everyone from McAfee to Stephen A. to Jason Kelce that it values personalities who have crossover appeal now more than ever. While it certainly has paid dividends, it has put the network in a very tough position at times. And it will likely be that way for the foreseeable future.