Alternative broadcasts are all the rage in sports, particularly at ESPN, which has launched several in the wake of the Manningcast’s success. The latest will focus on the NBA and feature the network’s brightest star, Stephen A. Smith.
Four editions of The NBA in Stephen A’s World are on the schedule for 2022. The first one is set for October 26 when the Milwaukee Bucks host the Brooklyn Nets on both ESPN2 and ESPN+. Other episodes will air November 2, December 2, and Christmas Day.
Like other ESPN alternate broadcasts, Stephen A. Smith will welcome celebrity guests to watch and talk about the game with him. He told Variety that fans should expect a very loose atmosphere and conversation.
The NBA in Stephen A’s World is co-produced by SAS Productions (owned by Smith) and Omaha Productions, Peyton Manning’s company, which has produced alternate broadcasts of the US Open and college football as well as the Manningcast for ESPN. Smith says that doesn’t mean his show will follow the format of previous Omaha ventures.
“I don’t think that anybody who has watched those shows should anticipate that they will see me doing anything remotely like them when it comes to how I watch a game,” he said.
One key difference is that Smith doesn’t want to stray too far from basketball. The NBA wasn’t on Omaha’s radar when the company and ESPN reached a deal to produce the variety of megacast content they will offer. ESPN brass went to Smith and Omaha with the idea. Stephen A. Smith says that gave him the power to shape what the broadcast will be.
“You’ll see people who are fans of the sport who are relatively popular coming in to talk about the sport. That’s what it will be about.”
The future of the The NBA in Stephen A’s World is up in the air after Christmas. ESPN and Omaha will evaluate the 2023 calendar to see if and when it could commit to future editions of the alternate broadcast.
