SUMMARY
- Malika Andrews, a prominent figure in sports journalism and an ESPN NBA reporter, reportedly earns an annual salary ranging from $50,000 to $78,000.
- Despite the salary disparity, Malika Andrews has made a substantial impact on NBA reporting.
Malika Andrews has become one of the famous figures in sports journalism, particularly in the world of the NBA. Since joining ESPN in 2018, Andrews has taken on major roles, including hosting NBA Today and NBA Countdown. Despite her popularity and becoming the face of multiple shows on ESPN, reports suggest that Andrews earns between $50,000 and $78,000 annually.
This salary places her below the earnings of some of the top female reporters in the field. For example, Maria Taylor, now with NBC Sports, has an annual salary of $5 million, while Rachel Nichols, who joined Fox Sports, reportedly earns around $1.5 million.
ESPN has announced its replacement for Rachel Nichols’ ‘The Jump.’
‘NBA Today’, hosted by Malika Andrews, premieres October 18th 📺
Andrews, also receiving a multi-year contract extension, will be joined by Kendrick Perkins, Chiney Ogwumike, Vince Carter & Zach Lowe. pic.twitter.com/stsfTk9hCd
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) September 20, 2021
Doris Burke, another ESPN big face, earns a salary of $1 million. These figures highlight the pay difference between Andrews and more established reporters. Will Andrews secure a contract in millions in the future? We have to see.
Malika Andrews’ impact as an NBA female reporter
Despite the salary differences, Andrews’ impact on NBA reporting cannot be overlooked. As a lead reporter for ESPN’s NBA studio coverage, including NBA Today and NBA Countdown, Andrews has proved her ability to cover the league nationally.
Her work has appeared on multiple ESPN platforms, such as ESPN.com, SportsCenter, and ESPN Radio. Interestingly, Andrews made history as one of the youngest sideline reporters ever for a Conference Finals telecast during the 2019-20 season.
Also, she was among the first reporters to cover the NBA’s temporary Florida campus after the league resumed the season following a 4 month break due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Andrews has become a role model for young journalists entering the field.
Malika Andrews’ early life struggles
Andrews’ journey to becoming one of the top NBA reporters was not easy. In her early life, Andrews had personal struggles such as depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder. These issues led to big challenges, including being kicked out of school in the 8th grade.
“It doesn’t really fit neatly into a box,” Malika said of her eating disorder. “I struggled with restricting and purging. It is not really anorexia or bulimia. It is more anorexia than bulimia, but it doesn’t fit super neatly into a box, which I learned through my years of treatment that more and more eating disorders don’t fit neatly into a box.”
However, when Malika was 14, her parents sent her to a year-round therapeutic boarding school in Utah. This time of her life was a turning point, it allowed her to recommit to her studies and she even graduated early at 17.
Cheering on @malika_andrews and her new @espn show #NBAToday from the college newsroom where it all started for her 👑@UPBeacon @UPortland pic.twitter.com/WbLFrqGrf5
— Nancy Francis Copic (@NancyCopic) October 18, 2021
Malika went to the University of Portland, where she chose to study communications to avoid math and became the editor-in-chief of the university’s student newspaper. After graduating, Andrews took an internship at the Denver Post, then she took a James Reston Reporting Fellowship at The New York Times, and then to a reporting position at the Chicago Tribune.
Her outstanding work caught the attention of Cristina Daglas, who leads ESPN.com’s NBA division. In late June, ESPN gave her the daily on-site reporter job in the Orlando bubble.
