Erin Andrews‘ contract with ESPN officially expires at the end of the week. Monday evening John Ourand of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL reported on Twitter:
Erin Andrews will be staying at ESPN, according to Jim Miller, who is teaming with Tom Shales to write the definitive book on the network.
Here’s Miller’s bio. After Ourand’s note tonight, I emailed and spoke with multiple sources familiar with the situation and was told that no contract has been signed.
ESPN’s only public statement on the matter came late last week after media reports ramped up speculation that Andrews could depart the network: “We are hopeful that Erin will remain at ESPN.“
Thanks to her recent tabloid and reality show-fueled celebrity, there’s no disputing Andrews can now demand a higher base salary covering entertainment news or working in show business than her present duties at ESPN.
From what I’ve been told, Andrews is considering staying at ESPN if she can make up that disparity with high-profile endorsements directly or indirectly facilitated by the network. (Think Golic’s “POT ROAST!!!”)
Her deal would be somewhat similar to how college football and basketball coaches are paid at many high profile schools. The coach gets a small base salary from the university and then large annual payouts from endorsement and media deals that are largely arranged by the school.
Andrews’ obvious dilemma in choosing her career path is that her celebrity will never be greater than it is right now. If she’s ever going to make the jump to entertainment news or show business, this will probably be her best (and only?) time to do it.
If I were her agent, I would tell her to move on from ESPN and give showbiz a shot.
Because of her on-air ability, work ethic and personality, ESPN and other sports opportunities will always be there. But working in, or covering show business may not be if she does another five years of N.C. State sidelines - thereby removing herself from the tabloid radar.
10:41 pm on June 28th, 2010
she can do a report on how funny it is that the lakers with the annually highest payroll in the league…were two opponent major injuries away from bryant demanding another trade…they were done until yao went down and a loser in 6 until perkins the best rebounder and interior defender went down…she could then report on the reaction of unnamed pros when told that second tier star kobe had 2 to 3 poor games per series…magic jordan bird…he cant hold their pickles…but buying players is so laker
11:10 pm on June 28th, 2010
This would be the worst decision ever made by the four letter network if that useless bimbo were to re-up with them, and an even bigger travesty is the way they buried the waaaaaaay more beautiful and waaaaaay more knowledgeable Bonnie Bernstein on Michael Kay’s pukefest on the four letter’s New York O&O radio outlet, WHILE SHE SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE KEY ASSIGNMENTS ON THE TELEVISION FAMILY OF NETWORKS!!!!!!!! OH, HOW I HATE THE HELL OUT OF MICHAEL KAY!!!!!!!!
Brooks, I clearly do not understand your obsession with that useless skanky blonde bimbo. She’s not that hot, she’s merely used as “eye candy,” doesn’t know jack about sports, and, in my opinion as a guy’s guy who is passionate about sports, insulting to the legit women in the profession.
11:35 pm on June 28th, 2010
She has the voice of a noisy saw blade.
11:38 pm on June 28th, 2010
Personality?!?! Give me a break.
12:17 am on June 29th, 2010
To “the truth”, it’s sounds like you’re about as sour as one of those pickles you mentioned. Kobe a 2nd tier star!? Do you even watch NBA basketball? Oh yeah, Perkins would have saved the day!? Please
9:16 am on June 29th, 2010
agreed,, she is way over-rated. ESPN has better, more pleasant personalities, who are easy on the eyes,, with an annoying factor of zero. We realize that all involved are capitalizing on her “15 minutes” but,,, shhhhh,, at this very moment,,, it’’s going away. What you have left is a bloated contract that is not paying returns. Is anyone tuning in fro her? From the infamous words of Chad Johnson,,, “child please”
9:18 am on June 29th, 2010
hi calie…im eating sweet candy…look at rebounding totals and second chance points and wimpy gasols numbers during games 1 to 5 and then games 6 and 7…lakers in weakest west in 10 years but they were done until yao and perkins out
10:34 am on June 29th, 2010
jenn brown is hotter
11:36 am on June 29th, 2010
She could get a job doing ironing…
12:50 pm on June 29th, 2010
Wow, fighting the battle of 2009 on the Lakers success….it’s so, oh I don’t know, 2009?
5:51 pm on June 29th, 2010
As someone who has first hand accounts of her behavior, Andrews is not worth putting on camera. She is a jock-chasing floozy whose main interest is in bedding athletes, not reporting on them. She practically humped David Wright in the middle of a restaurant bar in Atlanta. If all she wanted was the whole “nude videogate” to go away, why does she bring it up every time she’s on camera? Let her go do ET and fade into oblivion…