Acclaimed sports journalist and cultural critic Michael Smith has announced the launch of the Inflection Network, an innovative new sports podcast network in collaboration with iHeartMedia’s iHeartPodcasts.

The new podcast network will make its debut on August 3 (Thursday) with the season three premiere of the popular show Comeback Stories hosted by New York Giants tight end Darren Waller and mental health and mindfulness coach Donny Starkins.

Smith’s current shows, Brother From Another with Michael Holley on Peacock TV, and his new solo NBC Sports podcast project, My Main Man Michael Smith, will also be available on the network.

Additionally, a slate of original programming will include a new fantasy football podcast Michael Smith Presents The Dynasty Exchange hosted by Dylan Egloff, Davis Nuaimi, and Josh Walsh will debut later this month. Shows hosted by Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad and Olympic hurdler and bobsledder LoLo Jones are set to premiere later this year.

Smith, who also is a correspondent for Thursday Night Football on Amazon, said he created the Inflection Network to “provide a platform for personalities whose perspectives shape compelling conversations around sports, society, and culture.”

“I’ve had a long career in sports media and in podcasting going back to His and Hers on ESPN to My Main Man Michael Smith on NBC. I remember somebody told me a long time ago, that “If you're always talent, you could always be replaced,” Smith told BET.com. “I was always an entrepreneur at heart with a vision for my career to create my own content, to control my own narratives, tell my own stories, and empower people to tell the stories that need to be told. That was the inspiration for starting Inflection Point Entertainment in 2020, with my co-founder, Terrence Williams. But the podcast network was a national transition for us.”

“We wanted to have a podcast network where we can identify, elevate, and amplify thoughtful individuals at the intersection of sports, politics, culture, and entertainment,” Smith continued. “I've always made my residence there as a commentator so the podcast network is an extension of that. This is the hardest and most significant thing I’ve done in my career.”

Charita Johnson, a two-time Emmy Award-winner who worked for 26 years at ESPN as a media executive and helped to develop and produce the His & Hers podcast, will lead the Inflection Network. Williams describes Johnson as “the backbone of this initiative.”

“Standing up this portfolio of podcasts has been extremely rewarding,” Johnson said. “I’ve been intentional about who and what deserves to be under the IN umbrella. The stories that we’re telling reflect the audience we wish to attract. I’m really proud that there’s something for everyone.”

With the launch of the network, Smith’s vision is to offer nuance to the sports, culture, and entertainment space, something that he feels is lacking on the current landscape.

“I think the art of listening to understand and not listening to speak is a lost art in general. A lot of people listen, thinking about what they want to say, as opposed to processing what's being said to them. So I think we've gotten so consumed with debate, and making hot takes or even lukewarm ones,” Smith explained. “I think one thing that we're going to have is authenticity across the board. We want to inform, entertain, and inspire our audience.”

All shows on the Inflection Network will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard