Show overview
State of Play launched in 2025 and has put out 49 episodes, alongside 1 trailer or bonus episode in the time since. That works out to roughly 30 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 29 min and 42 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Government show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 days ago, with 33 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Center for Strategic and International Studies.
From the publisher
The world order has been disrupted, and a new international system is emerging. Hosted by Will Todman, State of Play unpacks the biggest geopolitical developments of the week. Every episode brings together CSIS’s leading regional experts to explore how global power is shifting, how allies and adversaries are responding, and what it all means for the future of international order. State of Play is produced by Cera Baker.
Latest Episodes
View all 49 episodesCould Fighting in Ethiopia Spark Regional War in the Horn of Africa?
What Did Trump and Xi Agree to at the White House?
Is the U.S.-Philippines Alliance Really at a Historic High?
Will Trump’s Pressure on Canada Break the USMCA?
Did Iran Attack U.S. Water Systems?
Is Cuba Nearing an Inflection Point?
How Should the U.S. Counter China in the Pacific?
Was This World Cup More Political?
Have Politics Jeopardized the Ebola Response?
Was the G7 Summit in France a Success?
Trump's Iran Deal: What Comes Next?
How Should the United States Counter the CRINK Axis?
Is Ukraine Turning the Tide?
Is Something Big About to Happen with North Korea?
What Can Negotiations Between Lebanon and Israel Achieve?
What did the Trump-Xi Summit Achieve?
Is a Cold Peace with North Korea Possible?
Has the Iran War Transformed the Middle East's Future?
Will Orban’s Defeat Transform Europe?
Has the Iran war upended U.S.-China negotiations?
President Trump delayed his planned summit with Xi Jinping from March to May due to the war with Iran. Scott Kennedy and Brian Hart join Will to assess the war's impact on the talks, if the war has changed China's negotiating strategy, and if we should expect a different outcome from the May summit as a result of the delay. Scott Kennedy, "The United States Needs a Coherent China Policy," CSIS, October 6, 2025. Bonny Lin, "Why a Venezuela-Style Operation Would Backfire for Beijing," CSIS, January 9, 2026.