The ESPN is brand is still the pinnacle in sports, despite the many flaws that plenty of past employees have spoken about publicly.
One ESPN’s biggest names recently admitted to nearly leaving the top sports company — and it was because of the opportunity to work closer to home.
ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes was the one who made the admission in an interview with Poytner published on April 24. One of the biggest reasons is that she received another opportunity that was based in Los Angeles.
“I had an outside opportunity that I was seriously considering based where I live in Los Angeles,” Kimes said.
The decade-long member of the Disney’s (DIS) ESPN family had started in the company first as writer for ESPN’s The Magazine, but has become an on-air staple on “NFL Live” while also hosting her own podcast, “The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny.”
ESPN’s headquarters is in Bristol, Conn., but it also shoots many of its shows like “First Take” in New York. While the network does shoot shows like “NBA Today” in Los Angeles, those don’t tend to fall under the scope of Kimes’ coverage.
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Because she’s based in Los Angeles, Kimes tends to call in and provide her analysis via video call from within her home — which has likely become more of an advantage for her as she announced the birth of her first child late last year.
The new opportunity could have provided her the chance to care for her child and still do in-person work, but she said she rejected it because of her relationship with the ESPN folks.
“It was a really cool opportunity, but for me, the people that I just mentioned, it was just impossible to imagine myself at the end of the day not working with them. I truly look forward to it, and that’s really, really hard to leave,” Kimes said.
Kimes and the rest of the “NFL Live” crew which includes Laura Rutledge, Dan Orlovsky, and Marcus Spears, have publicly talked about being close and often show love for each other on social media.
What a nice and touching video done by @espn’s #NFLLive crew for @minakimes as she prepares to go on maternity leave
Aired a few moments ago and this is good!! 🥹 So happy for you, Mina!! pic.twitter.com/v0Wt85Bvbe
— AAJA Sports (@AAJAsports) September 25, 2023
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Kimes decides to stay
But outside of the relationship with her peers, the contract from ESPN may have also helped convince her. In September, Kimes reportedly signed a contract with ESPN worth $1.7 million annually.
On top of her ability to work with Omaha Productions on the podcast and also guest on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” The New York Post said her yearly earnings are now over $2 million.
It’s not certain what was Kimes’ other opportunity, but it was likely coming from former ESPN star Bill Simmons and The Ringer. Simmons openly told The Washington Post early last year that Kimes was his “number one draft pick.”
Simmons also lives in Los Angeles and shoots his famous “The Bill Simmons Podcast” in the city.
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