If you talk to ESPN boss Jimmy Pitaro for any length of time these days, he’ll bring up the pressing need to expand ESPN’s reach. As the audience that pays for cable gets older and older, and carriage fees dry up with every household that cuts the cord, ESPN is increasingly looking to other platforms, like Instagram and TikTok, to attract younger audiences. That’s why it’s paying Pat McAfee $85 million over five years for a show you can watch for free on YouTube. It’s why the network didn’t totally blink when Stephen A. Smith asked for a stunning $25 million a year. It’s also why Jason Kelce, the former Eagles center and podcasting bro and potential T-Swift in-law, is in talks to host his own show on the Worldwide Leader.