To further capitalize on the theme of a personality-focused ESPN2 lineup, Michael Smith and Jemele Hill’s Numbers Never Lie will be rebranded His & Hers starting Monday, November 3. The 60-minute studio show will continue to air at its normal time on weekdays at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2, live from Bristol, Conn.
The program’s name change was inspired by the success of Smith and Hill’s His & Hers podcast, which was launched in 2012. The His & Hers studio show will continue to feature Smith and Hill’s opinions on the most relevant sports storylines of the day. Since the entertainment world and social dialogue are a passion of the duo, the revised show format will be adjusted to allow for the organic inclusion of related topics. Interviews and contributors will remain part of the content mix as well as the show’s popular whiteboard videos.
While the studio show and the His & Hers podcast will share the same brand, the podcast will continue to be a separate entity presented in a format conducive for that platform.
“The change from Numbers Never Lie to His & Hers is truly a natural evolution for the program as it has grown over time to showcase more of their opinions while moving away from a focus on data,” said Marcia Keegan, vice president, production. “Michael and Jemele together have slowly molded the show into something that more closely reflects their personalities, and more viewers are tuning in than ever. This rebrand will officially reflect what the show has come to be.”
The Numbers Never Lie social handles will switch to His & Hers branding (@HisAndHers on Twitter) and will continue to focus on highlighting Smith and Hill’s personalities. Paired with their handles, the show unit will have a combined reach of over 1.2 million followers in social. His & Hers will continue to use successful social executions such as #TshirtTuesday and #TriviaTuesday as well as introducing new games. There will be a new emphasis on highlighting show content and behind-the-scenes content across all digital and social platforms.
“When Jemele and I started the His & Hers podcast we never imagined that in just two years it would become so popular as to inspire a rebranding and renaming ofNumbers Never Lie,” said Smith. “NNL has had a great run, but His & Hers is the show Jemele and I were meant to do together. We’d like to think we’re a match made in sports heaven.”
“For years, it’s been our dream to work together and do the kind of show that would speak intimately to who we are,” said Hill. “There aren’t many, if any, sports commentary shows that feature a man and a woman with the credentials that Mike and I have. This is truly a personal endeavor for both of us.”
His & Hers reflects an ESPN2 weekday lineup that includes diverse and unique voices and emphasizes personality- driven programming.
The weekday ESPN2 line-up:
6:00 a.m. Mike & Mike
10:00 a.m. First Take
12:00 p.m. His & Hers
1:00 p.m. First Take (reair)
3:00 p.m. SportsNation
4:00 p.m. Highly Questionable
4:30 p.m. You Herd Me with Colin Cowherd
5:00 p.m. Olbermann
5:30 p.m. Outside the Lines
6:00 p.m. Around the Horn (reair)
6:30 p.m. Pardon the Interruption (reair)