It’s the end of an era in sports journalism as Adrian Wojnarowski has announced that he is retiring from his role at ESPN, putting an end to his glorious run in the business. Wojnarowski is one of the most respected reporters in the industry and the news of him taking a step back comes as a shock.
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He was an ESPN Insider since 2017. But the veteran reporter has been a part of the industry for 37 long years. He was under a $35 million contract with ESPN, according to a report by Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.
Woj is bidding farewell to the media business before finishing the tenure of his current contract. He signed the ESPN deal in 2022.
It was for a five-year tenure with the company, setting his annual earnings to be a whopping $7 million.
Adrian Wojnarowski is walking away from $20 million following his retirement from ESPN, per @AndrewMarchand.
Woj makes around $7 million per year, with 3 years left on his deal https://t.co/4cPr3r1DLJ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 18, 2024
Therefore, Woj is walking away from a sum of $20 million by calling it quits.
The 55-year-old is one of the highest-paid journalists in the company and in the world. However, he’s leaving behind the hectic life of an NBA reporter with three more years left on his contract. In his retirement announcement post, Wojnarowski wrote that he no longer has the drive that he had for so many years that propelled him to this level.
He wrote, “This craft transformed my life but I’ve decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry. I understand the commitment required in my role and it’s an investment that I’m no longer driven to make. Time isn’t in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful.”
-30- pic.twitter.com/bFeFL61s1c
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 18, 2024
According to reports, the veteran reporter has taken up the role of the general manager for the men’s basketball program at the St. Bonaventure University, which is his alma mater.
In their official press release, he was quoted saying, “It is a thrill of a lifetime to be able to return to a university and community that I love in a role of service to our student-athletes, coaches and institution. I am hopeful that I can bring value in a lot of areas to our basketball program and open doors for our young men’s futures in ways both professionally and personally.”
Even though his glorious run in the news industry has come to an end, Wojnarowski has decades of experience of being around the sport. With all his wisdom, he might be able to contribute immensely to his alma mater’s basketball program.
