Shannon Sharpe says Katt Williams gave ‘Club Shay Shay’ legitimacy

Shannon Sharpe has not just one, but two massive podcasts and he knows how valuable Katt Williams was in building up Club Shay Shay.

Sharpe kicked off 2024 with the interview heard ‘round the world, inviting Katt Williams onto Club Shay Shay where the comedian proceeded to set Hollywood on fire. Williams went after Kevin Hart, Kim Kardashian, Joe Rogan, Chris Tucker, Cedric The Entertainer, and many other celebrities during his conversation with Sharpe. But more importantly, the bombshell interview has amassed nearly 70 million views.

Earlier this week, on his Nightcap podcast with Chad Johnson, Sharpe reflected on the importance of being able to interview Katt Williams.

“What television did for sports, Katt Williams did for Club Shay Shay,” Sharpe said. “Prior to television, you could listen, but you couldn’t see. Once sporting events could be shown, you could see baseball, you could see basketball, you could see football. It changed everything, because we’re visual. What TV did for sports, is what Katt did for Club Shay Shay, it gave it legitimacy. It made Club Shay Shay a major player. No matter what you thought of Shannon Sharpe, no matter what you thought of Katt Williams – 69 million views in four months – ‘Okay, oh he’s for real.’”

The Williams interview didn’t just put more attention on Club Shay Shay, it was an announcement to the world that Sharpe and his podcast have transcended sports. Since his public split with Skip Bayless last year, it became apparent that Sharpe was elevating Undisputed, while Fox Sports was holding Sharpe back.

At the time of their divorce, losing Club Shay Shay from its podcast catalog probably seemed like an afterthought for Fox Sports. But in the ensuing months, the ESPN personality has used that podcast to build Shay Shay Media into an empire.

And if the attention the podcast received wasn’t enough, the $6 million paycheck he earned for the Williams interview wasn’t a bad bonus. Sharpe said he recently spoke to Williams and the comedian expressed satisfaction over the fact that Club Shay Shay has continued to grow since the polarizing interview. Williams also praised Sharpe for continuing to give his guests an open forum.

“One day I’m gonna sit down and have a conversation,” Sharpe said. “I’m gonna tell somebody what he told me and why he did what he did and why he came on my pod and why he said some of the things that he said.”

[Nightcap]