You can trust Stephen A. Smith to speak his mind, especially when it comes to the sports media landscape that he has helped to shape with his intensity.
One of the most well-known voices in sports, Smith recently launched a limited series on ESPN called “Up For Debate: The Evolution of Sports Media.” Over the course of three episodes, Smith will analyze how broadcast media has evolved from its early days into a space where the louder the voice, the more likely it is to thrive and drive the future.
Stephen A. Smith continues to shape the sports media landscape. His new ESPN series … [+]
The three-part series is a collaboration between Smith and his Mister SAS Productions and Religion of Sport, and features personalities such as Troy Aikman, Mina Kimes, Molly Qerim, Shannon Sharpe, Michael Wilbon and Hannah Storm discussing the origins, current state and future direction of the debate-oriented nature of sports media.
According to an ESPN press release, the goal is to “showcase the evolution of sports discourse.”
“From the legendary figures who paved the way to our current kings and queens on the mic, you'll have a front-row seat to the passion and intensity that animates the debate in modern sports,” Smith said in the release.
No one knows or can inspire that intensity more than Smith.
A former print reporter, Smith started out in radio before moving to television where he became a cult figure and left a mark on sports media unlike most.
Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless changed the landscape of polemic sports media. … [+]
Smith became one of the most vocal faces on ESPN's “First Take” in 2012 and has also appeared on NBA Countdown and the “Stephen A. Smith Show” podcast. In 2023, he published “Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chance and First Take,” which became a New York Times bestseller.
The five-year contract he signed with ESPN in 2019 is worth $60 million.
Smith has reshaped the debate landscape in his own image, with a partisan style that simultaneously seduces and infuriates. He is synonymous with provocative commentary, delivered with unwavering conviction and as aggressively as possible.
There is little doubt that the series is designed to reflect Smith's style and demonstrate his role as a product of the evolution of earlier personality-driven reporting.
“I've been watching sports since the days of Howard Cosell,” Smith said on the First Take show on May 22. “For me, sports commentary all started with him. And I saw people in sports become personalities. Mike and Mad Dog. [Mike Francesa and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo of WFAN] And because of that, he suddenly became a hugely popular talk radio personality.
“and [then there is] As things like the emergence of the podcast world become more prominent, we're looking at the industry: where it has been, where it is now, and where it's going.”
The first episode of this series, with Smith as the central character, explores the contemporary state of sports media, including the foundations of sports debate, while the second episode looks at the proliferation of sports debate shows, which place more emphasis on personalities than on the athletes they debate, and favor more provocative opinions.
In our final episode, we explore where this model is headed in the future and how today's voices will influence the genre for years to come.
“A lot of times, a lot of people have become incredibly popular,” Smith said on First Take. “Now we have a situation where people like Shannon Sharpe are highlighting that they're making more money than they ever did when they were a professional athlete. Wow.”
There's no doubt that Smith and his bombastic co-stars, including Sharpe, Skip Bayless, Joe Rogan and Pat McAfee, have revolutionized the media broadcasting landscape, drawing more viewers to their content than ever before. For example, in 2023, “First Take” averaged 496,000 viewers in its 10 a.m. time slot, marking more than 20 months of year-over-year viewership growth.
However, once the line is crossed, the person can become more talked about than the player they are covering.
Consider Game 7 of the series between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. ESPN featured Smith's walk-in and out in the same segment as Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton. Malika Andrews of the NBA Countdown desk proclaimed, “Stephen A. Smith, now it's your turn. Knicks fans, give us your completely unbiased opinions on the outcome of this game” before he threw down a courtside shot.
Smith said on “First Take” that what makes “Up for Debate” so great is that sports media debate is unregulated and in many ways an untapped opportunity.
“It seems like there's nothing to police,” he said. “If you go out there and speak out, it reverberates. What's going to happen to the industry? What's it going to turn into? That's why it matters.”
“On the other hand, nobody knows where it's going.”
