Blake Griffin Launches Weekly Late-Night Show 'The Stepback' on Prime Video

Blake Griffin is taking his cue from topical comedy shows like The Daily Show and Last Week Tonight, but putting his own stamp on the genre as a host. His new weekly late-night show, The Stepback, features Griffin sitting behind a desk chronicling and opining on the juiciest sports topics of our time.

The 37-year-old has been a presence on television for years, including on the studio show NBA on Prime and a host of non-basketball broadcasts. He has also honed his standup chops at Just for Laughs and at various live venues. For related coverage, explore our detailed analysis on Technology and Digital Systems.

Griffin's Background in Sports Media

Griffin's screen appeal combines a mix of swagger and self-deprecating humor, evoking (a taller) Joseph Gordon-Levitt. His Mortal Media production banner has been behind high-profile streaming projects including Hulu's White Men Can't Jump reboot and Apple TV+'s sci-fi-ish Hello Tomorrow!

Among the topics on the docket for The Stepback are gambling, NIL, taxpayer-funded stadiums, pot use, analytics, and the state of sports journalism. A planned press release notes that Griffin breaks down the biggest topics in sports for a live studio audience, delivering a smart blend of late-night comedy and cultural analysis.

All live-studio episodes of The Stepback have been recorded and are currently in post, with the first one dropping October 20 to coincide with the start of the NBA season. A new episode will follow every Tuesday.

The Stepback's Content

Wondery is no stranger to sports podcasts with broader cultural appeal.

The Amazon division is behind New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce and The Lead , Tiffany Oshinsky and Anders Kelto’s take on the sport stories of the day.

Blake Griffin used to bully rim protectors inside the paint. Now he’s going to fire shots from the outside.

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The former Clipper and Pistons All-Star is launching a weekly late-night show on Prime Video and YouTube produced with Amazon ’s Wondery . Titled  The Stepback with Blake Griffin, it features the host sitting behind a desk chronicling and opining on the juiciest sports topics of our time  — think John Oliver, but for all things athletic.

“He’s asking questions insiders won’t,” an upcoming trailer notes. Among the topics on the docket are gambling, NIL, taxpayer-funded stadiums, pot use, analytics and the state of sports journalism.

A planned press release notes that, “Drawing on his unique lens as a veteran player, sports dad, and lifelong superfan, Griffin breaks down the biggest topics in sports for a live studio audience — delivering a smart blend of late-night comedy and cultural analysis.” All live-studio episodes of  The Stepback  have been recorded and are currently in post, with the first one dropping October 20 to coincide with the start of the NBA season. A new episode will follow every Tuesday.

There will generally not be guests on the show, with the heat coming from Griffin’s own commentary. Griffin says that he is taking his cues from the topical comedy that has become a must-watch for general-interest viewers over the past two decades. “I’ve watched and idolized shows like  The Daily Show  and  Last Week Tonight , so to follow in their footsteps while putting my own stamp on the genre is an amazing opportunity that I’m grateful to take part in,” he notes.  Despite a dizzying number of podcasts, the sports world lacks wry, newsy video chats of true depth, at least since  Around the Horn  went off the air.

And a late-night-style sports show is an almost entirely new subgenre. Griffin has been a presence on television for years, including on the studio show  NBA on Prime and a host of non-basketball broadcasts, with acting stints on  Broad City  and Whitney Cummings’  The Female Brain  and as host of a hidden-camera show on TruTV.

The 37-year-old has also honed his standup chops at Just for Laughs and at various live venues. His screen appeal combines a mix of swagger and self-deprecating, and at times evokes (a taller) Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Griffin’s Mortal Media production banner, formed with ex-NFL offensive lineman Ryan Kalil, has been behind a number of high-profile streaming projects including Hulu’s  White Men Can’t Jump  reboot and Apple TV+’s  sci-fi-ish  Hello Tomorrow!. The company earlier this month debuted We Are Osos , a docuseries about Mexican (American) football centering on the Monterrey club that Griffin, Kalil, George Kittle and others own.

Wondery is no stranger to sports podcasts with broader cultural appeal. The Amazon division is behind  New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce and The Lead , Tiffany Oshinsky and Anders Kelto’s take on the sport stories of the day.