Sage Steele — Biography
Sage Steele is an American media personality, currently leading her own podcast, The Sage Steele Podcast. Her previous prominent role was co-anchoring the noon edition of SportsCenter on ESPN. She also lent her voice to SportsCenter on the Road, reporting live from major sporting spectacles like the Super Bowl and The Masters. Furthermore, for four seasons, concluding in 2017, she was a fixture on NBA Countdown, appearing on both ESPN and ABC. Prior to her NBA Countdown tenure, Steele dedicated five years as a full-time presenter for SportsCenter, ESPN's signature program. Her earlier contributions to ESPN included appearances on ESPN First Take, Mike & Mike in the Morning, and SportsNation. Steele helmed SportsCenter's daytime broadcasts for the NBA Finals in both 2012 and 2013, and she provided coverage for every NBA Finals series from 2012 through 2020.
In October 2021, ESPN placed Steele on paid leave following comments she shared on Jay Cutler's podcast. Her remarks on that September 29 episode touched upon COVID-19 vaccine mandates, women's attire, and Barack Obama's self-identification as Black. The following April, Steele initiated legal proceedings against ESPN, alleging retaliatory actions by the network in the wake of her suspension. Her lawsuit contended that ESPN had diminished her career by withdrawing opportunities and argued that her free speech rights as a private citizen had been infringed upon by the network's response to her commentary. This legal dispute was resolved in August 2023, at which point Steele departed from ESPN. In March 2024, Steele was announced as the inaugural podcast host for Bill Maher's Club Random Studios podcast network. Later, in April 2024, following Candace Owens' exit from The Daily Wire, Steele took over the role of Ms. Birchum in the animated series Mr. Birchum. Steele's heritage includes African, Italian, and Irish roots. As of December 2024, Sage Steele commands a following of 509,000 on Instagram and has 103,000 subscribers on YouTube.
In October 2021, ESPN placed Steele on paid leave following comments she shared on Jay Cutler's podcast. Her remarks on that September 29 episode touched upon COVID-19 vaccine mandates, women's attire, and Barack Obama's self-identification as Black. The following April, Steele initiated legal proceedings against ESPN, alleging retaliatory actions by the network in the wake of her suspension. Her lawsuit contended that ESPN had diminished her career by withdrawing opportunities and argued that her free speech rights as a private citizen had been infringed upon by the network's response to her commentary. This legal dispute was resolved in August 2023, at which point Steele departed from ESPN. In March 2024, Steele was announced as the inaugural podcast host for Bill Maher's Club Random Studios podcast network. Later, in April 2024, following Candace Owens' exit from The Daily Wire, Steele took over the role of Ms. Birchum in the animated series Mr. Birchum. Steele's heritage includes African, Italian, and Irish roots. As of December 2024, Sage Steele commands a following of 509,000 on Instagram and has 103,000 subscribers on YouTube.
