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Report: Skip Bayless to Leave FS1's 'Undisputed' Following Shannon Sharpe's Exit
DORIC SAMJULY 15, 2024
Steve Zak Photography/FilmMagic
One year after Shannon Sharpe departed FS1's Undisputed, longtime co-host Skip Bayless is reportedly on his way out as well.
Per Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post, Bayless is leaving his role at Undisputed after eight years, with his final show set for later this summer.
Sharpe departed Undisputed after the 2023 NBA Finals to join ESPN's First Take opposite Stephen A. Smith. Glasspiegel noted that Fox Sports PR declined to comment on Bayless' impending exit.
After Sharpe left the show, it took a brief hiatus last summer before returning with a new format that saw Bayless acting as both moderator and panelist in debates with a rotating group of panelists that included Keyshawn Johnson, Michael Irvin, Richard Sherman, Rachel Nichols and Paul Pierce. The new iteration of the show failed to capture audiences in the way Bayless and Sharpe did during their seven-year tenure together.
To make matters worse, Undisputed suffered in the ratings following the move of First Things First from early mornings to mid-afternoon following The Herd. Glasspiegel pointed out that "Craig Carton's lead-in show has not yet reached the metrics" that First Things First brought as the lead-in for Undisputed.
Prior to joining FS1, Bayless was at ESPN for 12 years and starred opposite Smith on First Take before his departure in 2016. In 2021, he reportedly signed a four-year deal with FS1 worth $32 million.
FS1 could be on the verge of losing another key personality, as Glasspiegel noted that Colin Cowherd's deal comes to an end following the 2024 football season.
