Over the last 16 years, First Take has been a staple of ESPN’s daytime programming lineup and has arguably redefined modern-day sports television. Show host Molly Qerim is joined by executive producer and featured commentator Stephen A. Smith on weekday mornings to deliberate the latest topics in sports – but the program endured a seismic change in the latter half of 2021. Co-host Max Kellerman, who had worked with Smith for the previous five years, provided a worthy debate partner for Smith, but he ultimately compelled ESPN management to change the format of the show.
Responsible for overseeing the network’s slate of programming, President of Content Burke Magnus knows that ESPN has something extraordinary in First Take. Throughout its time on the air, the show has endured various iterations while continuing to be a compelling and entertaining watch. Much of that can be attributed to the work ethic of Smith, who is in his second stint with ESPN and became one of the faces of the company.
“I would put him near or at the very top of our talent roster in terms of his profile and the success of the show,” Magnus said. “By the way, nobody works harder. Nobody works harder.”
Today, Smith is joined by a deep roster of panelists, including Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo, Kimberley A. Martin and Kendrick Perkins among others depending on the sports calendar and slate of conversation points. Consistently changing the look of the show keeps the product fresh and allows for the network to accentuate the strengths of its personalities.
“You can theme your approach depending on the season, and I think they’ve done that particularly in the case of the NFL and NBA, which have become year-round conversation pieces and content opportunities,” Magnus said. “….It’s a unique circumstance where two people can carry that kind of conversation on a year-round basis without it getting stale.”
Smith, however, has not been reserved about having aspirations beyond the world of sports media. The ESPN superstar recently began hosting his own afternoon show with Cadence13, a podcast studio under the ownership of Audacy. The show is live streamed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with Smith diving into topics both inside and outside of sports. Fans have the ability to participate in the show by calling in on a live hotline, some of whom have the chance to speak with Smith directly. Moreover, the show continues to gain subscribers on YouTube, with Smith’s channel having 282,000 at last count, and consistently makes headlines because of the intrigue surrounding his opinions.
Some people within media circles have adopted the sentiment that Smith has eclipsed ESPN and that he is bound to leave the network in the near future. Magnus, however, believes that First Take is his priority and the show that has made everything else possible.
“I don’t think he’s outgrown ESPN,” Magnus said. “I think there’s plenty of room for us to do more with him and for him to do more on his own.”
On Wednesday’s edition of his podcast, Smith shared that he will have an announcement of his own in the coming future and added the caveat that it would not pertain to former FOX Sports 1 commentator Shannon Sharpe. Less than 24 hours later, Sharpe announced that he has agreed to a deal to join Smith on First Take for select editions of the show, with his first appearance coming on Monday, Sept. 4. The platform will allow him to continue disseminating his opinions about the NFL and professional sports at large en masse.
Being able to land these kinds of superstar talents pertains to the credibility of both ESPN and Smith, who has become one of the most venerable multimedia personalities of his time. Magnus affirms that Smith has built a “juggernaut” of a program and understands that his future will continue to be stratified with multiple endeavors.
“As this show has been his own now going on many years, I think the world has figured out that he is, while quite bombastic at times, an incredible entertainer with an incredible point of view that he communicates in a really entertaining way,” Magnus said. “He’s going to have the ability to do other things in a diversified media environment.”
The aggregate product ESPN is introducing on Thursday, Sept. 7, which includes Get Up and The Pat McAfee Show, marks a compilation of programming that have all established themselves as proven commodities in different settings. They are now joining together to cultivate a lineup with the potential to shape the future of not only ESPN, but sports media at large.
“We just think the three of those things together over six hours, basically Monday through Friday, is going to really be a significant and powerful offering,” Magnus said.
Barrett Sports Media’s exclusive interview with Burke Magnus will be published tomorrow morning, featuring his thoughts on the new daytime programming lineup, ESPN BET and the future of the “Worldwide Leader.”
Derek Futterman is an associate editor and sports media reporter for Barrett Media. Additionally, he has worked in a broad array of roles in multimedia production – including on live game broadcasts and audiovisual platforms – and in digital content development and management. He previously interned for Paramount within Showtime Networks, wrote for the Long Island Herald and served as lead sports producer at NY2C. To get in touch, find him on X @derekfutterman.
