What is Max Kellerman's net worth? ESPN host may exit ‘First Take’ as he eyes 'expanded role'
Max Kellerman might be exiting ESPN’s much-loved show 'First Take', which he co-hosts with Stephen A Smith. In the show, he and Smith verbally battle each other for hot-take supremacy.
For now, nothing is reportedly finalized yet, Kellerman’s spot on the show might not be filled by anyone else. Instead, Smith will be alone with Molly Qerim Rose while other ESPN reporters, hosts and other guests make appearances. Kellerman has been on 'First Take' for almost five years after he replaced Skip Bayless in 2016 when Bayless left for Fox Sports — where he now hosts a similar show with Shannon Sharpe.
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Front Office Sports report suggests he may be eyeing an "expanded role" on ESPN Radio. He currently hosts the 'Max Kellerman Show' on ESPN Radio and also a boxing show on ESPN2. He’s hosted plenty of other shows across different platforms of ESPN throughout his time with the network and was the original host of 'Around the Horn'. Reports are rive that Kellerman might join, ESPN’s morning radio show, 'Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin'. Zubin Mehenti has missed significant time from the show this year due to his health issues. Smith, perhaps the most recognizable face at ESPN, received a massive five-year contract extension with the network in 2019 that reportedly pays him around $8 million each year. The deal made him the highest-paid ESPN sportscaster.
What is Max Kellerman's net worth?
Born on August 6, 1973, Max Kellerman gained limelight when he started hosting the ESPN panel talk show 'Around the Horn' from the show's incarnation in 2002 until 2004 and co-hosted the sports comedy talk show 'SportsNation', alongside Wiley and Michelle Beadle, from 2013 until 2016. He was also a studio commentator with Brian Kenny on 'Friday Night Fights' and a color commentator for 'HBO World Championship Boxing' and 'Boxing After Dark'. Kellerman's first broadcasting experience was when he was a teenager on a New York City public-access television cable TV program on professional boxing named 'Max on Boxing'. Even though the show was quite simple but it caught the attention of the boxing community, including a young Mike Tyson.
Kellerman completed his graduation in the late 1990s from Columbia University with a degree in history. In November 2002 he was given his own show and, influenced by Pardon the Interruption, became the architect and original host of ESPN's Around the Horn. While the show was incredibly popular, Kellerman and ESPN could not reach an agreement for him to remain with the network, and Kellerman left the network in early 2004 to host a new show called 'I, Max' on Fox Sports Net, where he discussed sports news with Michael Holley, former Around the Horn panelist, and Bill Wolff. The last episode of the show aired on February 18, 2005. Max also was the co-host of Spike TV's 2006 series, 'King of Vegas'.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Kellerman's broadcasting career has given him an estimated net worth of $6 million. While an exact salary is unknown, it has been reported that Kellerman takes home around $1 million annually thanks to his career at ESPN.