Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Stephen A. Smith signs deal with SiriusXM for radio shows on sports, current events

The popular ESPN personality Stephen A

The Associated Press
Wednesday 04 June 2025 15:38 BST
US Media Stephen A Smith
US Media Stephen A Smith (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Stephen A. Smith is expanding his broadcasting portfolio beyond ESPN — and he won't be talking about just sports.

The satellite radio network SiriusXM said Wednesday that it has signed Smith to produce and appear on two new shows. One is a daily sports talk show that will appear on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio, the channel created by talk radio personality Chris Russo.

Smith will also create a weekly show featuring current events, pop culture and social commentary. Both programs will debut in September, SiriusXM said. Except to say that it is a multi-year deal, terms were not disclosed.

“September can't come soon enough,” Smith said. “It's been a long time since I've been in radio, especially going back and forth with the callers. Can't wait to get re-started.”

The deal does not affect Smith's contract with ESPN, where he appears on “First Take.” Smith's popularity with young men has led to talk that he could be a political candidate some day, and the commentator has made media appearances lately where the discussions have gone beyond sports.

He wrote a book, “Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes,” in 2023.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in