Stephen A. Smith has dominated the airwaves at ESPN and across the sports landscape for years. Now he’s venturing beyond sports with a new podcast.
In a new venture with Audacy’s Cadence13 Partners, Smith’s new podcast, “Know Mercy with Stephen A. Smith”, will tackle topics such as business, criminal justice, entertainment, politics and social issues.
It’s scheduled to launch on September 26th.
“It’s hard to put into words how excited I am about this opportunity,” said Smith in a statement. “Although my love for sports will never fade, neither has my zest for expanding my interest beyond the court or field of play. I love news. I love entertainment. Above all else, I love attaching myself to, and touching on, things that are percolating in the minds of the masses — with no inhibitions.”
Smith is ESPN’s star, entertaining and educating millions of fans through shows like “First Take” and “NBA Countdown.”
His ability to keep fans coming back is why ESPN paid him $12 million in 2019. That made him their highest-paid star at the time.
Troy Aikman took that title earlier this year by signing an $18 million deal with the network to co-host “Monday Night Football”.
This is a new job for Smith, but not an entirely new lane.
He’s been a guest on news shows and has a recurring role on “General Hospital”, so he’s no stranger to the non-sports realm.
ESPN fully supports Smith’s new endeavor. It won’t interfere with his regular duties and it keeps politics and other non-sports topics off of the network, a mandate under the network’s current regime.
“We support Stephen A. in this new opportunity outside of the sports realm. It won’t impact the extensive work he does for ESPN on a daily basis across our many shows and platforms,” said spokesman Josh Krulewitz.
So now there’s a new way for Smith and his fans to interact, and he’s excited to get started.
“Regardless of subject matter, to have the opportunity to do so with a podcast I personally own, with content I personally control, is an adventure I’ve waited to tackle head-on for my entire career. Well, it’s here now, and I’m excited to do it with Cadence13. I’m ready. I hope everyone is, too, for what’s coming. Buckle up!”
