On Friday, Pat McAfee made comments suggesting that Norby Williamson, the head of event and studio production for ESPN, might be trying to sabotage “The Pat McAfee Show.” McAfee voiced concerns about leaked information affecting the show’s narrative, hinting at Williamson’s involvement. It remains unclear why such sabotage would occur within the same company.
“There are folks actively trying to sabotage us from within ESPN. More specifically, I believe Norby Williamson is the guy attempting to sabotage our program,” McAfee said. “I’m not 100 percent sure. That is just seemingly the only human that has information, and then somehow that information gets leaked and it’s wrong and then it sets a narrative of what our show is. And then are we just going to combat that from a rat every single time? I don’t know.”
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Speculation arose about potential disciplinary action from ESPN, but as of now, there are no plans to suspend McAfee. The network is investigating the matter to understand the circumstances leading to McAfee’s comments. ESPN aims to find a resolution that allows both Williamson and McAfee to move forward.
There is no planned suspension for McAfee, and ESPN hopes to find a path forward for both Williamson and McAfee, according to a person familiar with the matter via CNBC.
McAfee signed a five-year deal with ESPN in 2023, with the network seeking to enhance its weekday afternoon ratings by acquiring his show. Despite the show’s steady growth in December, internal tensions appear to be surfacing, indicating that the controversy is not yet resolved.
