Shannon Sharpe hints at money trouble to Chad Johnson with media empire in crisis

After getting fired from ESPN and settling a disturbing lawsuit, Sharpe had a one-line joke that intimates his bank account has very limited funds.

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When we last left off, ESPN firing Shannon Sharpe cost him $100 million.

To be fair, that reported number was most likely never going to materialize after the Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end, who welcomed his brother Sterling this past weekend as the first siblings to both reach Canton, settled a disturbing lawsuit with an unidentified 19-year-old woman.

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But if the two-time Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos legend could have gotten back into ESPN's NFL coverage plans, it would have given him cover for things like his podcast and YouTube channel "Club Shay Shay," which still boasts over 4 million subscribers, and "Nightcap" with Chad Johnson, also known as Chad Ochocinco, which has nearly 1.8 million.

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Unfortunately for Sharpe, 57, the "Shay Shay" empire is part of Colin Cowherd's "The Volume" network, and according to The Athletic, that deal expires at the end of August. (It's unclear if that is just a syndication deal, and if Sharpe still owns the rights to the name and likeness, which of course is a huge deal given his YT numbers.)

In a recent "Nightcap" clip discussing the Jerry Jones vs. Micah Parsons brouhaha, Sharpe made it known that Johnson owed him some money, and that it's coming up on a year since he loaned it to the eight-time All-Pro.

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"[My] pocket's light right now, Ocho... Just saying, pocket's light."

Both crack up laughing, when Johnson then gets a little serious.

"See that's why I love you," Johnson said. "That's what I need... That's the Shannon I need. We are going to be alright. We're going to be alright. I'm telling you. We're good."

Shannon Sharpe PRESSES Ocho Cinco to pay back the money he owes him after paying $23M to an OF model for his lawsuit 😭😭

“You owe me $5,900, you know my pocket’s light right now” 💀👀 pic.twitter.com/I5jM3LTYpl

— Killa 🌺 (@KillaKreww) August 4, 2025

This tweet mentions a settlement number in the lawsuit, but that has not been disclosed as of this posting. Also we could not verify when Sharpe mentions the exact amount of $5,900.

Regardless, it's a funny moment in a time of trouble for both men, as they face another $20 million lawsuit from Jimalita Tillman, alleging they falsely said she was getting a divorce after the viral Usher concert moment.

Shannon Sharpe got another lawsuit alongside Chad Ochocinco.

They’re both being sued for 20 million over a viral Usher video for allegedly saying she was a married woman and husband was filing for divorce over the video. pic.twitter.com/OhBeGNGuil

— Boochie is the Name (@stoppfeenin) July 31, 2025

Sharpe and Johnson have a natural chemistry, and if they can survive the heat with their large YouTube following, it'll be interesting to see how long it'll take a big sports media company to come calling for them again.

For now, Sharpe's pockets are noticeably lighter.

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