Seven years ago, Pat McAfee walked away from Barstool Sports, and folks still talk about that sudden split. After the 2016 season, he hung up his cleats at just 29, fresh off back-to-back Pro Bowls as the Indianapolis Colts‘ punter. Known for his big personality and killer sense of humor, McAfee wanted more than football. So he jumped into comedy, landing at Barstool as a go-to voice on their podcasts and videos. And even now, people can’t forget how quickly he succeeded and later bailed.
In August 2018, Pat McAfee bid farewell to his Barstool gig. This abrupt end stirred up the controversy, with many thinking that something was wrong with the digital media company. The speculations fired up as soon as the ex-punter tweeted the reason behind his decision. “Financial decisions were being made for me by people I had never met, deals were getting made and pulled without my knowledge. The transparency of everything became obsolete, and also very expensive,” he wrote. And now, after seven years, the topic was brought up again in a new episode of Club Shay Shay, by host Shannon Sharpe.
The ex-tight end brought Barstool founder Dave Portnoy on his show to talk about Pat McAfee’s success on TV as well as about his abrupt split with the channel. Portnoy, who ideally should have held a grudge against McAfee, appeared calm and composed. He highlighted, “The second you see him (McAfee), he was a super talented guy. He was very funny and very talented when he was a punter in Indy. It was already kind of like… an Indy legend, but I remember I hired him. He said he wanted to be, like, WWE champion, like, three days after I met him. Like, that’s one of his goals. It worked his a– off. But combine all that with he’s super talented.”
Pat Mcafee’s reason for leaving Barstool is ‘bullsh*t’ says Dave Portnoy!
“In no way were we trying to screw Mcafee, anything like that.” – @stoolpresidente
WATCH the full episode here: https://t.co/AhblTwwaom pic.twitter.com/h6aRyonhUa
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) May 19, 2025
So, when everything was fine between them, what happened suddenly that forced Pat McAfee to cut his ties with Barstool? Sharpe, too, asked the same, highlighting his transparency comment. To which, the owner said, “I think that part he and I disagree on. Now, there is certainly something to be said, like maybe a check was late or anything like that…He’s making plenty. It’s like a commission check. We’ve got to wait. Like the thing, not like his regular salary. And he was kind of in a hybrid.” So, as per Barstool Sports owner, while things like a late commission check could’ve happened here or there, it wasn’t ever anything shady or deliberate.
For this, he broke it down further, saying McAfee had a different setup than others, more of a hybrid role, where he earned a percentage of the ad sales connected to his content. Meanwhile, other shows like PMT didn’t have that kind of structure. That might’ve made it look like the company was pushing advertisers toward PMT to avoid splitting commissions.
However, Portnoy insisted it was never about shortchanging Pat McAfee. From the sales team’s point of view, they just chased the commissions, period. So, the owner admitted that he understood how McAfee might’ve felt the setup was unfair or unclear. But there was never bad intent. He also made it clear that, despite all that, McAfee always said he liked Dave and Erika, even if he didn’t see eye-to-eye with them on the business side.
Nevertheless, now that Pat McAfee’s podcast is linked up with ESPN, the star has a lot on his shoulders to carry.
Pat McAfee has turned into a major asset for ESPN!
ESPN knows it needs to evolve and fast. With cable fading out and streaming taking over, the network is finally making a bold move. It’s rolling out a new direct-to-consumer streaming platform this fall, just in time for the 2025 college football season. And the plan is to ditch the old cable routine and deliver every bit of ESPN’s core content straight to your screen, no cable package needed. And in this revolution, Pat McAfee might just be ESPN’s best player right now.
Over the past 15 years, ESPN lost 30 million subscribers. But this new $30 streaming package, offering full access to ESPN content and major college football games, could change the game, especially for college football fans. So, it’s understood that the network is leaning into what works, and yeah, McAfee works.
Pat McAfee’s energy, raw voice, and fearless takes have built a massive following that ESPN couldn’t ignore. That’s why they locked him in with a game-changing $85 million deal. He’s not just filling air time, he’s leading the digital charge. His show doesn’t stop at cable. It flows straight into YouTube and ESPN+, pulling in nearly 400,000 viewers a day. That’s why ESPN knew what they were doing when they gave him space to be himself.
So, in this new streaming era, Pat McAfee isn’t just a part of the plan; he is the plan. As college football grows even louder, it’s his voice that’s cutting through the noise. And legends like Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit are fueling the digital shift.
The post Barstool Owner Clears Stance on Pat McAfee Leaving as ESPN Future Rests on Ex-NFLer’s Shoulder appeared first on EssentiallySports.