Shannon Sharpe Adds James Harrison, Joe Haden Show to Media Empire

Shannon Sharpe is expanding his Shay Shay Media platform in time for football season, Front Office Sports has learned.

Sharpe’s company is hiring former NFL stars James Harrison and Joe Haden to headline a new podcast/YouTube show dubbed Deebo & Joe. Debuting Sept. 1, the program will drop new episodes every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

The 47-year-old Harrison rose from undrafted free agency to become a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Steelers. He was the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year, and his 100-yard interception return in Super Bowl XLIII is one of the most memorable plays in NFL history. The 36-year-old Haden was a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback for the Steelers and Browns.

“We’re not here to sugarcoat anything,” Harrison said in a statement to FOS. “We’re bringing fans into the locker room, into our lives and into the game in a way they’ve never experienced.”

The news indicates Sharpe is getting back to business after two multimillion-dollar lawsuits. A $20 million defamation suit by a Chicago woman named Jimalita Tillman against Sharpe, his Nightcap costar Chad Ochocinco, and Shay Shay Media was dismissed with prejudice by a U.S. District Court in Illinois. That came only a few weeks after Sharpe settled an explosive $50 million sexual assault lawsuit from an accuser on July 18.

In the wake of the lawsuits, Sharpe lost his part-time gig on ESPN’s First Take with Stephen A. Smith. His former role will be filled by Cam Newton this season, according to Ryan Glasspiegel of FOS.