If you asked 100 sports fans who they believed the face of ESPN was, it’s pretty safe to say that a fair number of people would respond with Stephen A. Smith.
The First Take host is certainly paid like the face of the network. ESPN pays Smith $20 million a year to appear on First Take and various other ESPN properties. But according to Smith, he doesn’t see himself as the face of the Worldwide Leader.
During a recent interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Smith countered that premise.
“I don’t know if they’ve made me the face of ESPN. I don’t even try to consider myself that half the time,” Smith told CBS anchor Robert Costa. “I work. I put in the work, and the people decide who the face is. I would tell you they recognize that, and they’ve rewarded me accordingly. But I believe, and I take credit for this, I’ve proven I’m trustworthy. In other words, I’m not the kind of guy that’s going to take the money and run. I’m not the kind of guy that’s working my tail off and then all of a sudden I got the money, so suddenly I’m not going to work my tail off. The same things that I did to achieve what I achieved, I will strive to continue to do plus elevate on top of that.”
Smith has certainly proven to be a company man throughout his long tenure at ESPN, willing to appear on much of the network’s programming outside of First Take. However, he has certainly taken a step back since signing his new contract. With the introduction of Inside the NBA to ESPN’s airwaves, Smith no longer has regular NBA studio obligations. The ESPN star also frequently utilizes remote studios rather than appearing in-person at First Take‘s New York set.
Instead, Smith has bolstered his schedule outside of ESPN. He now hosts a daily radio show on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio and a weekly political show on the POTUS channel. Not to mention, Smith has his own podcast, frequently appears on cable news, and is happy to take interviews on The View or CBS Sunday Morning.
In other words, there’s some credibility to what Smith is saying. Perhaps at one point, he was the “face” of ESPN. But now he’s a public figure unto himself. Sure, he’s associated with ESPN, but his appearances on the network have taken a small step back. And now, he’s available in many other places aside from ESPN. It’s hard to be the face of a network when you’re also popping up on a bunch of other platforms.
His nine-figure contract, of course, would seem to indicate that ESPN might see him as the face of the network, or at least one of them. And if Smith wants to keep cashing those checks, he’d be wise to go along with that premise.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.