Stephen A. Smith is about to receive even more airtime. ESPN is bringing back his alternative broadcast, “NBA in Stephen A’s World,” for the NBA playoffs, the company announced Monday.
The first edition will air Wednesday for the play-in tournament when the Raptors host the Bulls, and the final episode will coincide with Game 1 of the NBA Finals June 1. There will be five episodes total.
“NBA in Stephen A’s World has proven to be must-see TV – like always when it involves Stephen,” said David Roberts, ESPN’s Head of NBA and Studio production. “When you watch Stephen take in an NBA game in a living room-like setting, his deep passion for the sport is evident. We’re looking forward to a fun, five-episode run during what is expected to be an exciting, unpredictable NBA Playoffs.”
Roberts is one of the most powerful execs in Bristol, overseeing a wide slate of programming from the network’s studio shows to its NBA coverage. Last year, he was a key architect of ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Finals, and this year appears to be no different.
Clearly, Roberts thinks ESPN’s audience will never tire of Smith, considering he’s on the air seemingly all hours of the day. In addition to his “First Take” duties, he’s a regular presence on “SportsCenter” and “NBA Countdown.”
The bombastic hot taker is relentless, with even Chris Russo, who hosts a daily three-hour radio show along with his daily MLB Network program and regular “First Take” appearances, ragging on him for being everywhere all the time. (Last week, Russo panned Smith for flying across the country for an abbreviated stint on “The Late Show” to promote his new book. Oh yeah, he’s an author too!)
But it’s apparent that ESPN viewers aren’t tired of Smith. “First Take” enjoyed historic ratings to begin the year, continuing its robust performance from 2022.
“NBA in Stephen A’s World,” which debuted last October, is ESPN’s latest alternate broadcast idea. The aptly titled “ManningCast,” featuring Peyton and Eli Manning, debuted on “Monday Night Football” two years ago, and remains one of the WorldWide Leader’s most critically acclaimed projects.
The “ManningCast” is produced by the Manning’s production company, Omaha Productions.
Interestingly enough, “ManningCast” ratings dipped last season, though more than 1 million people routinely tuned in – more than most shows on TV.
The “KayRod Cast,” starring Michael Kay and Alex Rodriguez, returned Sunday night for its second MLB season. During its debut campaign, the “KayRod Cast” averaged 200,000 viewers for each of its eight episodes.
Much like the aforementioned “ManningCast” and “KayRod Cast,” Smith’s alternate broadcast will include “high-profile guest appearances from the worlds of sports, entertainment and media,” according to the press release.
It’s apparent that Smith has a desire to move his brand beyond sports, though the results have been mixed. He was briefly a regular fixture on cable news over a decade ago, and failed to gain much traction. Currently, he hosts an interview-based podcast with Audacy Sports. His last guest was infamous Donald Trump fixer Michael Cohen.
Speaking of Trump, Smith opined on his former friend Monday at Semafor’s Media Summit, and said the ex-president isn’t a racist. Unsurprisingly, Smith’s remarks were picked up by a myriad of news outlets.
Smith’s commentary registers, especially if it’s utterly ridiculous. Also on Monday, he implored Memphis to build a statue honoring Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, declaring “Elvis is dead!”
That may be true, but Stephen A. is alive and well. The dates for “NBA in Stephen A’s World” are below:
Wednesday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m.: Bulls vs. Raptors (ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN App)
Saturday, April 15 at 1:00 p.m.: Nets vs. 76ers (ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN App)
Friday, May 5 at 10:00 p.m.: Second Round, Game 3 (ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN App)
Thursday, May 16 at 9:00 p.m.: Western Conference Finals Game 1 (ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN App)
Thursday, June 1 at 9:00 p.m.: NBA Finals Game 1 (ESPN2, ESPN App)
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