In the new podcast series, Hill will explore the intersection between sports, race, gender, sexuality and culture

Special guests will include Sports Personality Dan Le Batard, Former NFL Star Lesean McCoy, Michigan Lt. Gov Garlin Gilchrist, Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian and more

Listen to the trailer HERE

WHAT: Today, iHeartPodcasts and Jemele Hill announced “SPOLITICS,” a new podcast that will delve into the intersection of sports, race, gender, sexuality and politics. The series aims to spark important political and cultural conversations that challenge the narratives surrounding these critical issues in the world of sports. "SPOLITICS" joins iHeartMedia’s new political podcast slate Reasoned Choice Media, which amplifies diverse voices throughout the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Hosted by Jemele Hill, “SPOLITICS” will feature sharp commentary, in-depth discussions and pressing conversations with athletes, prominent sports figures and politicians including sports personality Dan Le Batard, Former NFL player Lesean McCoy, Michigan Lt. Gov Garlin Gilchrist, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian and more. Each week, Hill will tackle topics such as immigration, reproductive rights, affordable housing and gender equity. 

In episode one, Hill will sit down with Dan Le Batard to discuss his career as a sports media personality, his life growing up as the child of Cuban exiles and how it shaped his perspective on politics. Hil will also be joined by Bill Rhoden, author of “Forty Million Dollar Slaves,” to discuss the history of sports and politics dating back to George Washington’s presidency in the 1700s. 

QUOTE: “I’m very excited to join iHeartPodcasts during this critical time in American politics. Sports and politics always have been connected and on this podcast, I’ll be exploring that deep connection with important newsmakers and smart people. The goal is to use the unifying element of sports as a lens to make people better understand that politics touches every corner of our lives.” - Jemele Hill, Host of “SPOLITICS”

WHO: An Emmy Award winning journalist, Jemele Hill is the Co-founder of Lodge Freeway Media and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. On October 25, 2022, Henry Holt and Company published Hill’s memoir, UPHILL: A Memoir. In this character-rich, unapologetically provocative memoir, Hill reveals her tumultuous childhood, complicated family dynamics, and her life-saving journey into journalism.

Hill’s 20-plus year journalism career has included stops at the biggest sports media network and several reputable newspapers. She originally joined ESPN in 2006 as a national columnist for espn.com.  Her profile gradually rose as she began to make appearances on television, including SportsCenter, First Take, Around the Horn, The Sports Reporters and Outside the Lines. She also spent a season as a sideline reporter for ESPN college football games. 

Her foray into daily television began in 2013, when her and co-host Michael Smith began the daily, sports discussion show, His & Hers, which sprang from their popular podcast of the same name. In February 2017, Hill and Smith co-anchored the 6 p.m., SportsCenter, which debuted as a more personality-driven approach to the traditional SportsCenter. After her stint as SportsCenter host, Hill was a senior columnist for The Undefeated, ESPN’s sub-site that focuses on the intersection of sports, race, culture and politics. 

In addition to breaking ground as a podcaster, Hill continued her celebrated television broadcasting career. In 2020, Hill and her longtime friend, former ESPN anchor Cari Champion, launched a weekly, late-night show on Vice Network called Cari & Jemele: Won’t Stick to Sports. The show covered politics, sports, news, current events, and pop culture.  

Hill is also stretching her muscles behind the camera. She is executive producer of former NFL quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick’s documentary, which will air on ESPN and is directed by legendary filmmaker Spike Lee. She also is currently developing a comedy series with acclaimed actress Gabrielle Union.

WHEN: “SPOLITICS” will premiere on October 17. New episodes will publish on Thursdays.

WHERE: “SPOLITICS” is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.

COVER ART: Download official show logo + cover art HERE.

PODCAST LISTENING EMBED WIDGET:  <iframe allow="autoplay" width="100%" height="300" src="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-spolitics-222755070/?embed=true" frameborder="0"></iframe>