ESPN’s outspoken star commentator, Stephen A. Smith, has secured a groundbreaking new contract worth $100 million, making him the highest-paid talent in the network’s history.

At 57, Smith is set to continue co-hosting ESPN’s popular morning show First Take but will step away from his regular role on the network’s NBA pregame show, Countdown. The deal, first reported by The Athletic, means Smith will now earn more than many of the NBA players he covers.

Commenting on his contract, Smith said, “I’ve got a lot things that I want to achieve, a lot of things that I want to accomplish in my life that extend beyond this show and beyond the world of sports. But it all starts here.”

The deal also gives Smith more freedom to discuss topics beyond sports and appear on non-ESPN platforms. The freedom also allows him to expand into political commentary on his own program, “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”