A Controversial Past and a New Frontier
Stephen A. Smith is on the cusp of finalizing a deal that will bring his Straight Shooter Media production company into the HBCU basketball broadcast arena, extending his reach beyond SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio and POTUS Politics.
The agreement, first reported in industry circles, positions Smith to deliver live coverage of historically black college and university games, a move that aligns with a broader push for minority‑focused sports content across the media landscape.
Smith’s response to recent criticism came in the form of a 45‑minute YouTube video where he acknowledged the National Association of Black Journalists’s Thumbs Down award, reflecting on a pattern of disparaging remarks aimed at prominent Black women in media and expressing a commitment to “pay it forward.”
The controversy stems from a NABJ honor that highlighted Smith’s long‑standing commentary that some observers say has crossed into dismissive territory, a charge he neither denied nor fully addressed beyond a public apology and a pledge to mentor emerging talent.
Beyond the HBCU deal, Smith has greenlit a slate of projects for ABC and Amazon, including scripted dramas and unscripted series, while simultaneously expanding his sports portfolio with pilots that will soon feature HBCU basketball broadcasts.
Industry observers note that BET’s president, Louis Carr, has already announced plans to weave HBCU sports into the network’s fall programming schedule, a development that could provide additional distribution channels for Smith’s content.
The potential partnership also places Smith in the orbit of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, whose HBCU GO streaming platform has become a reference point for minority‑targeted sports coverage, suggesting a possible collaborative ecosystem.
To bring the vision to life, Smith is actively recruiting talent, producers and technical staff, signaling that the upcoming broadcasts will be more than a one‑off experiment but a sustained investment in HBCU athletics.