Josh Pate, the owner of a college football media empire, has signed a new deal with ESPN to co-host a television program. The show, set to premiere this fall, will feature Pate alongside Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, known for their podcast "Bussin' With The Boys."

Pate, who now strategically turns down sponsorship deals to avoid overexposure, was once in a precarious financial situation. Less than a decade ago, he was earning just over $27,000 annually in Columbus, Georgia, a period marked by financial struggles that led to his eviction. "I was counting on YouTube revenue, Google AdSense revenue at that point. So I'm barely, I'm barely getting by. In fact, I got evicted. I didn't get by," Pate stated.

His career trajectory saw a significant shift in 2020 when he joined CBS. At that time, his goal was to earn $50,000 a year, a milestone he felt he had surpassed when he signed a $75,000 contract. "So please understand, I thought I had hit the lottery even then," he recalled.

Building a Digital Presence

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Pate began developing the foundation for his future media success. He started a YouTube channel before launching his show with 247Sports. "We started from scratch," Pate said. He deliberately focused his content solely on college football, observing other shows diversifying into areas he felt they lacked expertise in. "What we found is because we did that simultaneous to so many other shows alienating their audiences, people flocked to the show and our numbers scaled really hard and really quick," he explained. By the time a condensed season began that fall, his show was already profitable and had gained significant traction, leading executives to largely leave it untouched.

Retaining Intellectual Property

In 2022, Pate was presented with a lucrative, long-term contract offer from CBS. However, this offer did not include ownership of the intellectual property (IP). Recognizing the evolving media landscape, Pate consulted with industry professionals who emphasized the importance of asset ownership. "The future of this business is IP ownership, asset ownership. If you're ever going to get it, you've got to get it now because you get one more step down the road and that franchise is going to be way too profitable for them to ever hand over the keys to," he was advised.

Ultimately, Pate negotiated a deal with CBS that included IP ownership, even though it represented a less substantial financial offer compared to the initial proposal. "We went back and forth on that, back and forth on that. There was one night, it was about 10:30 Friday night, for whatever reason, I was in the office all by myself, and I got a call from CBS and they said, all right, we're going to do it."

This negotiation allowed Pate to retain ownership of his YouTube channel, podcast feeds, and the overall company, enabling him to produce his show independently. His journey from eviction and low wages to media ownership highlights a significant shift in the media industry and his personal career.