Dan Le Batard, equipped with hindsight, would have done things a bit differently when starting Meadowlark Media.
During an episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Le Batard broached the subject of Stephen A. Smith and his budding media empire outside of ESPN. Dan says that, if given the chance to do it over again, he would have built his own media company the way Stephen A. has — while still employed at the Worldwide Leader.
Dan Le Batard, equipped with hindsight, would have done things a bit differently when starting Meadowlark Media.
During an episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Le Batard broached the subject of Stephen A. Smith and his budding media empire outside of ESPN. Dan says that, if given the chance to do it over again, he would have built his own media company the way Stephen A. has — while still employed at the Worldwide Leader.
“He has conquered everything in this business and now is doing an infomercial on First Take that builds his next business where he’s just selling the next thing he’s going to do,” Le Batard said. “I wish I had been as wise to not be as emotional in that circumstance when you realize everything is falling around you, I wish I’d been more calculated that I could’ve decided that, ‘okay, you’re going to do that to Chris Cote? Okay, I’ll wait 18 months and build it on your dime.’
For the uninitiated, the “final straw” amidst Le Batard and ESPN’s crumbling relationship was the firing of longtime producer Chris Cote in 2019. Chris is the son of Greg Cote, a co-host, friend, and mentor to Le Batard for decades. At the moment, Le Batard was furious and decided to leave ESPN mere months later. However, he admits he should’ve played the long game with the company rather than “start a business during a pandemic” as he often says.
Executive producer Mike Ryan also heaped praise onto Stephen A. and his team. “The dude is using ESPN as he grows his brand, as he becomes synonymous with his brand, but also trying to distance himself a little bit in the video aspect of his next step. That’s how you do it. We did that somewhat with audio and I have my regrets on not using the video power and trying to have as much foresight on digital video as we did on digital audio.
“He is presently being able to use the power of ESPN’s platforms to promote his own unique YouTube page and side podcast in which he can give you opinions on things he can’t necessarily give you on cable television…It allows us to see a different side of him while he is still the tentpole of their daytime programming. It is being so expertly done by him and his team that I am so certain he’s not going to be exclusive to ESPN in the ways that he is for much longer, because he is definitely plotting another avenue.”
Outside of his ESPN responsibilities, Stephen A. owns his own production company, Mr. SAS Productions, which produces his ESPN+ show Stephen A’s World. He also hosts The Stephen A. Smith Show, a web series produced by his company that allows Stephen A. to touch on sports but also other topics such as dating, current events, music, and more.
He’s also made numerous appearances on Fox News and even guest stars on ABC’s General Hospital as Brick, a lawyer and confidant of one of the show’s main characters, Sonny.
