Stephen A. Smith isn’t buying into the notion that the NFL’s reported 10 percent stake in ESPN will compromise the network’s journalistic integrity or coverage of the league. Speaking on an exclusive interview with The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Smith pushed back on speculation that the business arrangement could influence how ESPN approaches critical stories about the NFL.
“They can try, but who the hell owns the other 90%?” Smith said. “Remember, you’re doing business with us. It’s not just us doing business with you. The integrity that comes with ESPN and how we do what we do is not going to be compromised just because you got a piece of ownership.”
Smith emphasized the relationship is mutually beneficial, with ESPN gaining access to valuable NFL content while the league maximizes its brand visibility and revenue streams.
“We get to air your games. We get to air some of your content. We get [NFL] RedZone and other elements that come with the equation,” he explained. “Things that are going to help you continue to monetize your brand, that is the National Football League, which is king. We get some benefits out of it, they get some benefits out of it. As is the case with any network that’s in business with anybody. That’s all that’s going on here.”
The First Take host also underscored that accountability and coverage standards won’t shift simply because the league is now a stakeholder. He pointed to the network’s longstanding rights agreements with multiple leagues as proof.
“I look at the league contracts we’ve had with the NFL. I look at the league contracts we’ve had with the NBA, with Major League Baseball and stuff like that. It doesn’t stop our investigative reporting. It doesn’t compromise our integrity,” Smith said. “You as an individual have an obligation to recognize the fact that you have a business to handle every single day. I know what my business is. I’m a pundit. I’m a commentator. I’m a journalist. I’m an entertainer as well.”
Acknowledging broader skepticism about the influence of big money in sports media, Smith said those concerns are not new but stressed that they will not dictate his approach.
“Big business, can it wield its heavy hand down upon it? People have been suspecting that for decades. It’s no different now, especially with the exorbitant amount of dollars that exist. We all understand that. But that doesn’t mean they’re going to get their way,” Smith noted.
Looking ahead, Smith made clear that his role requires him to hold league executives accountable regardless of business ties. “I’m getting ready to interview Roger Goodell in a few weeks. They ain’t gonna stop me from asking him what I need to ask,” he said. “Whatever the story is, whatever the news is, whatever the audience wants to know, it’s my obligation to bring that to the table. No deal between the league and ESPN is going to stop me from being me.”
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