Stephen A. Smith made his return to audio two years ago when he launched a podcast with Audacy’s Cadence13. Smith today said he will jump to the iHeartPodcast network with his The Stephen A. Smith Show, effective immediately.
“When you connect with anything or anyone at the top of their field, the excitement can’t be tamed,” said Smith in the announcement. “As the noted top distributor of podcasts anywhere, I’m honored to have their commitment and faith, and I can’t wait for their collaboration with The Stephen A. Smith Show to begin — knowing even more success is coming down the road.”
The Stephen A. Smith Show, which had been called Know Mercy when it launched two years ago, features the host offering his point of view on sports and the world beyond, as he also touches on entertainment, pop culture, society, business, and politics. It is produced by Smith’s SAS Inc.
Will Pearson, President, iHeartPodcasts, said in a statement that Smith offers “honest, unfiltered and passionate” commentary on his podcast. “We couldn’t be happier to welcome The Stephen A. Smith Show to iHeartPodcasts and continue expanding its loyal following,” Pearson said.
Smith is currently a featured commentator on ESPN’s midday show “First Take” but has a long history in radio. He joined ESPN in 2003 as an analyst, and two years later he began to host a syndicated ESPN Radio show from 2005 to 2008. Then from 2011 to 2014, Smith hosted a midday local show on “98.7 ESPN New York WEPN New York. He bolted to Fox Sports Radio where he hosted a morning show for a short time before he returned to ESPN. From 2011-2012 he also hosted a local show for “ESPN LA 710” KSPN Los Angeles. Then in September 2014, Smith began hosting the daily “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on SiriusXM. It then was picked up for a broadcast radio simulcast on WEPN and KSPN and was later added to the national ESPN Radio Network until the show’s finale in January 2020.
New episodes of The Stephen A. Smith Show will be available every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday everywhere podcasts are heard, in addition to the show’s dedicated YouTube Channel.
Smith is represented by WME.
Wondering if the Soros takeover of Audacy has something to do with this move?