Michael Smith is about to draw the curtain on his “SportsCenter” tenure.
The host of ESPN’s 6 p.m. ET edition of “SportsCenter” will leave the show Friday, according to Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch. Smith’s departure will follow that of Jemele Hill, who left “SC6” in January for a role with “The Undefeated,” an ESPN microsite that focuses on sports, race and culture, and other reporting assignments. Smith’s ESPN contract runs for “multiple” years, and he’ll reportedly craft another position for himself in the company in the coming months.
Hill and Smith debuted in February of 2017 as hosts of “SportsCenter,” the network’s signature news program, in the premier time slot. ESPN hoped at the time their personalities and chemistry would resonate with viewers, but network executives have changed the format of “SC6” to a more traditional “SportsCenter” broadcast over the last 13 months.
Smith hinted in January the show’s changes prompted Hill’s departure, and the loss of his co-host likely led to his own exit.
