ESPN star Stephen A. Smith and Entertainment Tonight co-host Kevin Frazier are taking a personal bond as friends for 30-plus years and making it professional.
Smith has tapped his pal for a “strategic partnership” at his Straight Shooter Media, in a move designed to help the former “expand and elevate” the company through original content that helps redefine sports and entertainment storytelling. “By amplifying diverse voices and pushing creative boundaries, this fusion is set to ignite a new era of storytelling and redefine how audiences engage with commentary, conversation, and connection across television, digital platforms and streaming,” per official intel.
“Kevin Frazier is a consummate professional and one of the most respected voices in entertainment,” praised Smith, who hosts ESPN’s number one morning show, First Take. ”Teaming up with him isn’t just a partnership — it’s a statement. We’re here to build something different, something disruptive and something authentic.”
Frazier is best known as a beloved star at Entertainment Tonight. He also founded the digital platform HipHollywood. “Stephen A. is a force — period,” said Frazier. “His vision for Straight Shooter Media is ambitious, timely and exactly what the industry needs right now. I’m thrilled to build something that not only entertains but also informs and empowers.”
Straight Shooter Media borrowed its name from Smith’s New York Times best-seller, Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes. The company, previously known as Mr. SAS Productions, produced ESPN’s Up For Debate: The Evolution of Sports Media, and currently shepherds The Stephen A. Smith Show on YouTube.
On the horizon are two original shows on SiriusXM, including a sports show on Mad Dog Radio Channel 82 and a political show on POTUS Channel 124, both to be hosted by Smith. There’s a slate in development that includes docuseries, interview-driven formats and scripted projects.
