Skip Bayless’ era at Fox Sports will come to an end later this summer, as the longtime co-host of FS1’s “Undisputed” and the network have agreed to part ways, a source briefed on the decision confirmed Monday.
The news was first reported by Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post.
Bayless joined Fox Sports with great fanfare in 2016 after 12 years at ESPN, where he played a key role on “First Take” alongside Stephen A. Smith. ESPN wanted to keep Bayless, but Fox Sports offered him much more, and Bayless headed west in search of new fame as a loudmouth.
Fox Sports executives promised to build a debate show around Bayless’ persona, and they did. The show built an audience for Bayless and his partner, Shannon Sharpe, and certainly did well on social platforms, but it never quite replicated its success after Sharpe moved to ESPN in 2023. (Sharpe recently signed a multiyear deal with ESPN and will remain a key figure on “First Take” alongside Smith.)
As for the ratings slump, Sports Media Watch editor John Lewis reported that the show’s late February episode drew just 50,000 viewers, compared with a loss to the Dubai Open first-round tennis match between Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Shevchenko, which averaged 54,000 viewers on the Tennis Channel.
Fox Sports declined to comment.
Sources briefed on the decision said the “Undisputed” name could be dropped and new programming introduced, but discussions are ongoing.
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(Photo of Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)
