Maria Taylor and ESPN are reportedly headed for a divorce over salary dispute

New York Post

At the beginning of the pandemic last year, the star NBA Finals host and College Gameday reporter turned down an offer to raise her salary from $1 million to $5 million a year, according to the New York Post's Andrew Marchand. He reports that Taylor was seeking a salary in Stephen A. Smith's "neighborhood" of $8 million per year. But in the aftermath of the pandemic, in which ESPN is reducing the salaries across the board, including among its big names, the cable network is now only offering to raise Taylor's salary to between $2 million to $3 million a year. "It is a substantial raise, but there is another staring contest going on, and the idea that Taylor and ESPN could divorce cannot be counted out," says Marchand. "Adding to the intrigue, Taylor’s contract is set to expire on or around July 20, and the NBA Finals, if it goes seven games, ends on July 22."