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Pat McAfee has built one of the biggest brands in sports media by doing things differently. While traditional sports television long relied on polished studio shows and scripted discussions, the former Indianapolis Colts punter found success with a more relaxed approach that connected with a younger audience.
His digital-first format eventually made its way to ESPN, where The Pat McAfee Show became part of the network's daily lineup. Now, with the NFL offseason continuing, McAfee is preparing to take on another project outside of sports broadcasting.
McAfee announced that he will release his debut album, The Diary of a Polarizing Figure, on Aug. 14.
According to the ESPN host, the album features songs, verses and choruses he has written over the past 20 years before recently recording them in Nashville alongside country artist ERNEST and several other collaborators.
Fans already got a preview of the project last December when McAfee released the album's first single, the 90-second country-rock track "Dookie."
“For as long as I can remember my mere existence has made people hate my guts,” McAfee wrote on X. “I’ve been writing songs about it for 20yrs & it’s time to let them aht.. A LOT of headlines & narratives.. if I was to die, I’d like my kids to know exactly who their dad is.”
The announcement adds another chapter to McAfee's career, which has already included stops in the NFL, WWE and sports media. Music now becomes the latest venture for the 39-year-old as he continues to expand his profile beyond broadcasting.
Pat McAfee Addresses Criticism Surrounding Reported ESPN Contract
McAfee's latest announcement also comes after his reported contract negotiations with ESPN became a major talking point across the sports media landscape. Reports suggested the network was working on a new deal that could be worth more than $60 million annually.
Around the same time, ESPN parted ways with several well-known personalities, including Ryan Clark, Tom Pelissero, Cam Newton and Karl Ravech, leading many fans to connect the two developments.
McAfee previously addressed that criticism, saying he has found himself in a similar position before.
“The first time we licensed the show through ESPN, one of these happened, we got blamed,” he said. “I feel like you don’t fully understand budgets and where things are coming from, but I do appreciate that. This time, we’re getting blamed as well."
The reported figures surrounding McAfee's next contract quickly became part of the conversation after ESPN's latest round of staffing changes. Many fans argued that the size of the reported extension could have covered the salaries of several veteran on-air personalities who left the network.
Despite the discussion surrounding his future at ESPN, McAfee has continued to move forward with new projects.
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