Steve Smith, Sr. and Cam Newton are teammates once more.
Smith is moving his podcast/YouTube program, The 89 Show, to Blue Wire Podcasts, which is also the home of Newton’s 4th & 1. The network also hosts shows featuring other former athletes, such as Penny Hardaway and Dwight Howard.
Blue Wire founder and CEO Kevin Jones confirmed the deal to Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy, noting that it was for multiple years, but financial terms were not disclosed.
The 89 Show, which is co-hosted by NFL insider James Palmer of Bleacher Report and The Athletic, currently has 173,000 YouTube followers.
As part of the arrangement, Smith and Newton will make appearances on one another’s shows. Smith also repurchased the IP rights to his podcast from Underdog.
“Football fans know me as someone who doesn’t hold back and consistently brings unfiltered and straightforward takes,” Smith told FOS. “Blue Wire gives The 89 Show an enhanced platform to continue bringing James’ and my perspective to an expanded audience with new distribution. Fans can count on The 89 Show to be honest, direct, and entertaining.”
Smith, who also served as a TV analyst for NFL Network, was in the headlines earlier this year when he was sued for ruining a marriage with a monthslong affair under North Carolina’s “homewrecker law.” In February, an X account belonging to the accuser posted graphic accusations against Smith, as well as text messages purportedly between him and his wife. The social media posts also included a phone conversation in which someone purporting to be Smith apologized for the affair. Smith joked about his financial situation related to the lawsuit during a recent NFL Network preseason broadcast.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.