Shannon Sharpe could be joining ESPN in a contributor role, according to Front Office Sports, meaning that he would appear across a swath of its programming. Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee have both publicly recruited Sharpe to join the “Worldwide Leader,” although Smith said he is not looking for a permanent debate partner on the show. Upon the exit of Max Kellerman, the network adopted a “Stephen A. vs. The World” approach where Smith welcomes guests to sit opposite him at the debate table while Molly Qerim moderates and guides the conversation.
Smith, who has been hosting a podcast with Audacy’s Cadence13 division for nearly a year, responded to a social media post divulging that he has spoken to Sharpe about joining First Take and ESPN. In his quote tweet reply, Smith teased the upcoming Friday episode of his podcast by stating that he will address everything necessary at that time. The featured commentator will make his return to First Take on ESPN next Monday morning, coinciding with the first full week of NFL training camps.
Since launching The Stephen A. Smith Show podcast, Smith has utilized the platform as an outlet to discuss issues both inside and outside of sports. Over the last several weeks, Smith has become more candid about his role in the media and thoughts on the industry, recently criticizing media personality Dan Le Batard for his continued discussion of ESPN. Smith also spoke about ESPN’s talent layoffs and warned that he could be next, even though many insiders considered him safe since he is viewed as a catalyst for the network’s viewership and revenue.
If Sharpe was to join ESPN, he would presumably continue hosting his Club Shay Shay podcast, potentially with FanDuel. The company reportedly allows on-air talent to work with other companies so long as they do not garner exclusivity. No deal is finalized as of yet, but Sharpe is expected to make a decision in early August before the start of the 2023 NFL regular season.
As for FOX Sports 1’s Undisputed, the program is in the process of finding a new co-host to join Skip Bayless in the mornings. The show is on a two-month hiatus as it engages in the process, and former Super Bowl champion Richard Sherman is among those being considered. Sherman currently hosts a podcast for Colin Cowherd’s digital media venture, The Volume, and has also contributed to studio coverage for Amazon Prime Video’s presentation of Thursday Night Football.
