Sage Steele ESPN salary: How much did SportsCenter host earn before leaving the network?

On Tuesday, Aug. 15, Sage Steele announced that she was leaving ESPN after her legal issues with the network drew to a close. The sportscaster will be leaving the broadcast giants after 16 years and depart as one of the most prominent female on-air voices in the industry.

Since joining ESPN in March 2007, Steele has made a small fortune, and her net worth is estimated to be around $1.5 million as of 2023. According to reports, she made a whopping $3 million per year toward the back end of her tenure with the network.

Last year, Steele sued ESPN for violating her free speech rights. In September 2021, she made an appearance on the Uncut with Jay Cutler podcast and opened up on her employer's COVID-19 vaccine requirement while briefly talking about former President Barack Obama and her racial identity.

Steele was pulled from the network a month later but decided to take legal action against ESPN last spring. Following a year-long battle in court, during which she continued with her on-air duties, the two sides agreed to settle.

Steele gained prominence on the network for her stints on SportsCenter as well as NBA Countdown from 2013 to 2017.

Interestingly, Steele also hosted events like the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship and the College Football Playoffs. It will be interesting to see where she ends up after cutting ties with ESPN.

More on Sage Steele's personal life and kids

Sage Steele's husband and three kids

Sage Steele married her personal trainer Jonathan Bailey in 1999. They have three children together, two daughters and one son.

Their eldest child, Quinn, was born on May 23, 2002. Steele welcomed her second child, Nicholas, in 2004. She became a mother for the third time in 2006 when she gave birth to a daughter, named Evan.