Premiering on September 9, 2019, the program was originally distributed by DAZN and via Westwood One radio. The show currently airs on ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN's YouTube channel, and McAfee's own YouTube channel. Only the first two hours air on ESPN; the final hour airs exclusively on ESPN+ and YouTube.
History
The Pat McAfee Show podcast (2017–2018)
Before hosting the program now known as The Pat McAfee Show, Pat launched an audio and video podcast of the same name on February 17, 2017 in a partnership with Barstool Sports. Episodes were broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube during this partnership.[2][3][4][5][6] The original co-hosts of the program were Anthony DiGuilio, Todd McComas, Jason McAfee and Nick Maraldo.[7][8][9] The program was known for its "r-rated" form of comedy, which was unusual for high profile sports podcasts at the time.[10] The podcast was eventually broadcast on the Sirius XM station Barstool Power 85 weekdays from 10 AM to 1 PM, until the show ended following Pat's split with Barstool in 2018.[11]
Following the split with Barstool Sports, Pat McAfee launched a podcast network called Pat McAfee Inc., which included several programs such as The Pat McAfee Show 2.0, That's Hockey Talk, Heartland Radio 2.0, and Good Bettor Bets. The Pat McAfee Show 2.0, also known as "PMS 2.0", was a new podcast that featured the same cohosts and served as a continuation of the original podcast, but was produced independently at the start. He continued to net high-profile guests such as Aaron Rodgers on the new program,[12][13] and made his television commentating debut on New Year's Eve of 2018.[14][15]
The Pat McAfee Show, a new program with the same name as Pat McAfee's prior podcast, premiered on September 9, 2019, as part of a multi-year deal between McAfee, DAZN, and Westwood One; DAZN would distribute the channel via its subscription sports streaming service, while Westwood One would syndicate an audio simulcast, with clearances in 40 markets at launch. The only major format change from the podcast to the radio and television program would be that Pat McAfee would need to use explicit language less frequently, in order to comply with FCC regulations.[16] As part of the agreement, McAfee would also produce on-site broadcasts from the locations of boxing and mixed martial arts events being broadcast by DAZN, and also contribute NFL content for DAZN in markets (such as Canada and Germany) where it held streaming rights to the league.[17][18] It was reported that McAfee was being courted by ESPN as a home for the show (having recently joined ESPN's Get Up! and college football coverage as a contributor), but that DAZN offered him more flexibility.[17]
In January 2020, the radio simulcast moved to the national lineup of CBS Sports Radio.[19] In May 2020, the program's contract with DAZN ended, with its video version moving to YouTube.[20] On September 8, 2020, The Pat McAfee Show moved to Sirius XM's Mad Dog Sports Radio. It also moved from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. ET to a 12 p.m.—3 p.m. time slot. The show continued to be broadcast live on YouTube.[21] On December 9, 2021, McAfee announced a four-year, $120 million deal with FanDuel, making them the sole odds provider for the Pat McAfee Show.[22] The deal also included the creation of a new studio space in Indianapolis called the "FanDuel Igloo", also known as the "Thunderdome".[23] In August 2022, the show left Sirius XM after the company didn't make an offer for a contract extension. However, the program continued broadcasting on YouTube and as an audio podcast, effectively replacing PMS 2.0 (although the audio version of the program continues to brand the episodes as "PMS 2.0").[24]
On September 7, 2023, The Pat McAfee Show moved to ESPN as part of a deal with the network; it was reported to be valued at $85 million over five years. The new program simulcasts the podcast for two hours on ESPN, while ESPN's YouTube channel and ESPN+ stream the entirety of the podcast. The program is censored for language on ESPN.[25] It was also announced that the program would occasionally broadcast Friday editions from the site of that week's edition of College GameDay—which McAfee joined as a panelist in 2022.[26]—during college football season.[27][28] As a tie-in, The Pat McAfee Show appears as a "field pass" altcast of select ESPN College Football games.[29]
In February 2023, Brett Favre sued Pat McAfee after McAfee called Favre a "thief" who was "stealing from poor people in Mississippi" on the show. McAfee made the comments after Favre was accused of taking money from Mississippi's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to enrich himself.[31] The lawsuit was later withdrawn.[32]
Move to ESPN
Following the announcement that the show would move to ESPN in 2023, some fans accused McAfee of being a "sellout".[33]
Controversies releated to appearances by Aaron Rodgers
In 2021, the show was criticized for allowing frequent guest Aaron Rodgers to spread vaccine misinformation while complaining about the NFL's COVID-19-related policies.[34][35]
Rodgers appeared on the January 2, 2024 edition, on which he discussed plans to release the client list of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Rodgers stated that "if that list comes out, I will definitely be popping some sort of bottle" because "a lot of people including [late night talk show host] Jimmy Kimmel are hoping it doesn't come out."[36] Kimmel responded to the clip of this statement surfacing by threatening to sue Rodgers over it on X (formerly known as Twitter), where he said:
Dear Aasshole: for the record, I’ve not met, flown with, visited, or had any contact whatsoever with Epstein, nor will you find my name on any “list” other than the clearly-phony nonsense that soft-brained wackos like yourself can’t seem to distinguish from reality. Your reckless words put my family in danger. Keep it up and we will debate the facts further in court.[37]
An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment on Rodgers' role in that episode. McAfee, however, issued a public apology to Kimmel the following day, stating that Rodgers was "just trying to talk shit".[38][39]
