The Pat McAfee Show

The Pat McAfee Show podcast (2017–2018)

Before hosting the program now known as The Pat McAfee Show, McAfee launched an audio and video podcast of the same name on February 17, 2017, in a partnership with Barstool Sports. Episodes were broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube during this partnership.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} The original co-hosts of the program were Anthony DiGuilio, Todd McComas, Jason McAfee and Nick Maraldo.^[6][7][8] The program was known for its "r-rated" form of comedy, which was unusual for high profile sports podcasts at the time.^[9] The podcast was eventually broadcast on the SiriusXM station Barstool Power 85 weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. until the show ended following McAfee's split with Barstool in 2018.^[10]

The Pat McAfee Show (2018–present)

Following the split with Barstool Sports, Pat McAfee launched a podcast network called Pat McAfee Inc., which included several programs such as The Pat McAfee Show 2.0, That's Hockey Talk, Heartland Radio 2.0, and Good Bettor Bets. The Pat McAfee Show 2.0, also known as "PMS 2.0", was a new podcast that featured the same co-hosts and served as a continuation of the original podcast, but was produced independently at the start. He continued to net high-profile guests such as Aaron Rodgers on the new program,^[11][12] and made his television commentating debut on New Year's Eve of 2018.^[13][14]

The Pat McAfee Show, a new program with the same name as Pat McAfee's prior podcast, premiered on September 9, 2019, as part of a multi-year deal between McAfee, DAZN, and Westwood One. DAZN would distribute the channel via its subscription sports streaming service, while Westwood One would syndicate an audio simulcast, with clearances in 40 markets at launch. The only major format change from the podcast to the radio and television program would be that Pat McAfee would need to use explicit language less frequently in order to comply with FCC regulations.^[15] As part of the agreement, McAfee would also produce on-site broadcasts from the locations of boxing and mixed martial arts events being broadcast by DAZN, and also contribute NFL content for DAZN in markets (such as Canada and Germany) where it held streaming rights to the league.^[16][17] It was reported that McAfee was being courted by ESPN as a home for the show (having recently joined ESPN's Get Up! and college football coverage as a contributor), but that DAZN offered him more flexibility.^[16]

In January 2020, the radio simulcast moved to the national lineup of CBS Sports Radio.^[18] In May 2020, the program's contract with DAZN ended, with its video version moving to YouTube.^[19] On September 8, 2020, The Pat McAfee Show moved to SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio. It also moved from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. ET to a 12–3 p.m. time slot. The show continued to be broadcast live on YouTube.^[20] On December 9, 2021, McAfee announced a four-year, $120 million deal with FanDuel, making them the sole odds provider for the Pat McAfee Show.^[21] The deal also included the creation of a new studio space in Lawrence, Indiana, known as the "Thunderdome", or the "FanDuel Igloo".^[22] In August 2022, the show left SiriusXM after the company did not make an offer for a contract extension. However, the program continued broadcasting on YouTube and as an audio podcast, effectively replacing PMS 2.0 (although the audio version of the program continues to brand the episodes as "PMS 2.0").^[23]

On September 7, 2023, The Pat McAfee Show moved to ESPN as part of a deal with the network; it was reported to be valued at $85 million over five years. The new program simulcasts the podcast for the first two hours on ESPN, while ESPN+ streams the entirety of the podcast. The broadcast on ESPN is carried on a slight broadcast delay in order to allow some of its profane language to be censored.^[24] It was also announced that the program would occasionally broadcast Friday editions from the site of that week's edition of College GameDay—which McAfee joined as a panelist in 2022.^[25]—during college football season.^[26][27] The show had already been involved in altcasts for selected ESPN College Football games with Omaha Productions, including CFB Primetime with The Pat McAfee Show (which aired from his studio during selected Saturday prime time games), and Field Pass with The Pat McAfee Show during the College Football Playoff.^[28][29][30]

In March 2024, the show similarly traveled to Iowa City for the first round of the 2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament, following the Iowa Hawkeyes and star player Caitlin Clark.^[31]

On June 1, 2026, the show announced a multi-year partnership with DraftKings. As part of the deal, the "Thunderdome" was renamed to the "DraftKings Thunderdome".^[32]

Hosts

• Pat McAfee
• A. J. Hawk^[a]
• Connor "Boston Connor" Campbell
• Anthony "Tone Digz" DiGiulio
• Ty Schmit
• Darius Butler^[b]

Recurring guests

Brett Favre lawsuit

In February 2023, Brett Favre sued Pat McAfee after McAfee called Favre a "thief" who was "stealing from poor people in Mississippi" on the show. McAfee made the comments after Favre was accused of taking money from Mississippi's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to enrich himself.^[33] The lawsuit was later withdrawn.^[34]

Move to ESPN

Following the announcement that the show would move to ESPN in 2023, some fans accused McAfee of being a "sellout".^[35]

Controversies related to appearances by Aaron Rodgers

In 2021, the show was criticized by commentators for allowing frequent guest Aaron Rodgers to question the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and the NFL's COVID-19-related policies.^[36][37]

Rodgers appeared on the January 2, 2024, edition of the show, on which he discussed plans to release the Epstein files. Rodgers stated that "if that list comes out, I will definitely be popping some sort of bottle...a lot of people including Jimmy Kimmel are hoping it doesn't come out."^[38] Kimmel denied any connection to Epstein and threatened to sue Rodgers over his accusations. An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment on Rodgers' role in the episode. McAfee, however, issued a public apology to Kimmel the following day, stating that Rodgers was "just trying to talk shit".^[39][40]

Mary Kate Cornett controversy

The show generated controversy in 2025 after McAfee mentioned a then-viral internet rumor that Mary Kate Cornett, a student at the University of Mississippi, had been sleeping with her boyfriend's father. McAfee later apologized to Cornett's family and issued a public apology on the show.^[41][42]