Rising ESPN presenter dating MLB star reveals 'double-edged sword' of her new deal with the broadcaster

ESPN betting star Erin Dolan opened up on the new contract she signed with the 'Worldwide Leader', her recent rise to stardom, and the struggles she deals with as a woman in sports media.

In an interview with the New York Post, the 29-year-old Philadelphia native chatted about the new contract she signed with the company earlier this month. 

The deal will keep her working at the company, where she's been since 2021, as she's become one of the biggest names in the sports betting world.

'I'm really happy about the deal,' said Dolan, whose new deal was revealed by ESPN back on September 4.

'I negotiated that myself, which I was really proud of this time around. I'm really trying to be more business-minded and really just doing it myself. I just think I'm at a point in my career where I really wanted to control myself.'

While she did not reveal to the Post the exact details of her contract, she did say that she got exactly what she was hoping for.

'I think that is my double-edged sword. I really want what I want, but also, I have to come up with the value to provide the company as well,' Dolan said. 

'There's a mutual understanding [between us] and with any business agreement, they gain a lot from me and I gain a lot from them. It's great.

'But this was really something that I have never done before, in negotiating for myself. So I learned everything. And I really am proud of just the way that it was handled. And, you know, everyone got what they wanted.'

The deal will see Dolan appear consistently on TV screens for multiple shows on the network, including 'SportsCenter', 'Sunday NFL Countdown', and 'ESPN BET LIVE' among others. 

Dolan, who is dating Philadelphia Phillies third-baseman Alec Bohm, says she will try and keep things fresh in each television appearance.

'I feel like I've done a good job at keeping the line of entertainment and fun, while also being professional, and balancing many different hats,' Dolan said. 

'I feel like on ESPN, I have the opportunity to, let's say, for example, on 'SportsCenter,' I'm not going to be my crazy fun self as much as I would be on 'BET Live,' and then I'm more buttoned up on 'Countdown.'

'This is something that's so new for everybody that I really had to teach myself, learn to produce and be involved in every single aspect of everything. I definitely come up with my own picks every single, solitary time. 

'No one's telling you what to say. I don't use a teleprompter. I don't have anything to really rely on. Like, I really have it in my head. So that's something that I'm proud of.'

Dolan also talked about the criticism she faces as a woman - which led to her shutting off her DMs across all social media platforms.

'I think no matter what, I'll always have a target [on me] in general,' Dolan said. 'I'm in a space that's more niche than even sports is. When I was first coming up, it was so hard for me. 

'It was really difficult, especially because I'm telling people what to put their money on. So the security side of that is a real thing. I have all my DMs off completely, like I don't see anything. I usually don't read anything. Sometimes I'll see something, but I find it funny at this point.

'It was Week 1 [of the 2025 NFL season], and I posted on social media for the first time in a while, and people were like, 'Okay, she's more into football' and 'welcome back.''

But she's also received plenty of comments about her appearance and her body. 

'People say, 'She used to be thicker' or 'She looks so old' or 'She looked better before this,'' Dolan said. '… People just come for your body, and it is just nonstop… But I find them actually hilarious.'

Before joining ESPN, the Penn State graduate worked on-air at FanDuel and PointsBet sportsbooks to create betting content. She also made appearances for B/R Betting and SiriusXM.