Chris Russo zaps Stephen A. Smith’s $400 million salary as First Take loses power during broadcast: “Maybe they could pay their freakin’ bills”

The unexpected happened to Stephen A. Smith and Co. at the “First Take” studio on Wednesday. The studio lost power, forcing Chris “Mad Dog” Russo to film his “What Are You Mad About?” segment in the hallway.

Russo used the moment to throw a light jab on ESPN. He joked about Smith’s rumored high salary, saying the network could have saved money for their light bills.

“If they didn’t pay Stephen A. $400 million, maybe they could pay their freakin’ bills, ESPN,” Russo said. “I mean goodness gracious, how dare you squeeze me and stick me in a hallway, with lights from 2000.”

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According to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand in March, Smith agreed to a deal with ESPN that will pay him at least $100 million over the next five years.

Smith has been at ESPN since 2003 and became the face of the popular show "First Take." According to Marchand, his reported annual salary is the most ESPN has ever paid to an on-air personality.

When Chris Russo spoke about Stephen A. Smith’s contract situation

Stephen A. Smith's contract situation was the topic of discussion last year. His existing contract with ESPN was set to expire in July, and negotiations for a new deal began ahead of time.

Chris Russo spoke to Jimmy Traina on his podcast last August about the situation. He stated that he was not deeply involved in Stephen A. Smith's contract negotiations, but he stayed somewhat informed and occasionally asked Smith about the situation.

“I try not to get too involved with it,” Cusso said on the podcast. “I ask for an occasional recap. And when I see stories on Stevie, I ask, ‘Is this accurate?’ Sometimes he tells me and sometimes he doesn’t. Overall, I would be shocked if he left.”

“I think the one thing that he may not want to be pigeonholed doing sports. He wants to go out there and do a lot of different things; that’s why the podcast comes in handy, and he may not want to go in there every day for five days doing lists for quarterbacks and all that. But I would be absolutely floored [if Smith left ESPN]."

Russo and Smith’s partnership on "First Take" has been successful. Russo landed a multi-year contract extension in February 2024 to continue working alongside Smith.

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Ubong Richard Archibong

Ubong Richard Archibong is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over a year's experience in the field with FirstSportz.

Ubong is an LA Lakers fan, and he grew up watching Kobe Bryant taking on everyone with his Mamba mentality. Ubong's love for the Lakers hit another level when his favorite player, LeBron James, joined LA from the Cavs. Other than LeBron, Ubong likes Anthony Edwards, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Phil Jackson.

Beyond the court, Ubong is a traveler at heart and a Chelsea fan, always ready for the thrill and tension they bring. When not working, Ubong likes traveling and volunteering.

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