Stephen A. Smith continues to own the media’s news cycle, whether by his own doing or not. There was the back-and-forth between Stephen A. and Michelle Beadle after SiriusXM announced plans to replace Beadle and her co-host Cody Decker with ESPN’s biggest star.
Then, there was Stephen A.’s continued dabbling into the political arena. He appeared on a highly rated President Trump Town Hall on News Nation a few weeks ago with Chris Cuomo, Bill O’Reilly, Steve Bannon, and others. And he has continued to be a vocal critic of the Democratic Party in recent days on his podcast, which is garnering enormous attention, most notably on social media.
Stephen A. Smith has wisely played in the political sandbox, with little evidence to suggest it’s hurting his brand as a sports commentator. In fact, Stephen A.’s brand is now growing beyond the world of sports, which is to his benefit.
“I am not a politician,” Smith recently told The Hollywood Reporter. “I don’t believe I’m qualified to be a politician. I don’t have any experience, nor have I ever had any interest. But I do love talking about issues that matter to the everyday American citizen. The way things are looking right now, it’s nothing but chaos and it’s going downhill. The binary system that we are living in can’t come together on a damn thing. Let’s call balls and strikes and let’s get back to doing what’s in the best interest of the country instead of in the best interest of ourselves. That’s why I believe people have been trying to coax me into joining the fray of politics.”
This is brilliant commentary from Smith. He’s not diving head-first into one side of the political pool but rather branding himself as someone who is criticizing the “binary system” and is interested in calling “balls and strikes” while getting back to doing “what’s in the best interest of the country.”
Who does that sound like to you? Donald Trump circa 2010-2015. Trump, while now the face of the Republican Party, was once viewed as someone who was an outsider and didn’t identify with either political party. He then elected to run as a Republican, and the rest has been history, which we continue to live through today.
Now, I’m not predicting Smith to become the next President of the United States. He has $100 million reasons from ESPN not to bother. And I’m not convinced he could pull it off. However, for the purpose of expanding his brand beyond the sports world, the narrative Smith is creating for himself is one that generates intrigue and enthusiasm among a growing audience outside of the sports arena.
Had President Trump not pulled off one of the great political upsets in American history in 2016, he likely would have gone back to a very lucrative media and business career. There was no downside for him.
Stephen A. Smith continues to play his cards perfectly to grow his brand beyond sports.
While on a much more minor scale, the lesson here for all talk show hosts is a simple one: be diverse in topics. Showcase your personality. At our core, we are not expert political advisors, we are entertainers. The best political consultants in America would likely be unable to host a multi-hour talk show. Some could, but most couldn’t.
When you attend any party or gathering, you discuss various topics with people from different backgrounds. At our core, we will always be discussing the national and local news scene, which incorporates the politics of the day. However, not every day is filled with the most dramatic, can’t-miss political stories. Use these days to your advantage. Keep the audience engaged. And branch out. Your P1s will be there.
But much like Stephen A. Smith has done with sports, showcasing your ability to entertain beyond news and politics will serve you well in growing your brand in your market, which will make you a more well-rounded host and just a more interesting person to listen to. I would also expect more opportunities to grow from it. Now, go be entertaining.
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Pete Mundo is a weekly columnist for Barrett Media, and the Vice President of News/Talk for Cumulus Media, while also hosting “Mundo in the Morning” and programming KCMO Talk Radio in Kansas City. Previously, he was a fill-in host nationally on FOX News Radio and CBS Sports Radio, while anchoring for WFAN, WCBS News Radio 880, and Bloomberg Radio. He’s also the owner of the Big 12-focused digital media outlet Heartland College Sports. To interact, find him on X @PeteMundo.
