Shannon Sharpe abruptly exited Fox Sports’ Undisputed last year after his issues with co-host Skip Bayless culminated in a stalemate. However, that hasn’t deterred the progression of his career. On the contrary, the Pro Football Hall of Famer’s career as an analyst has soared higher since he left Undisputed. Kevin Durant‘s company Boardroom recently shared a post on Instagram that listed Sharpe’s incredibly successful ventures since last year.
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Sharpe first drove a dagger straight through Skip Bayless’ heart by leaving him to join his former co-host-turned-rival, Stephen A. Smith‘s wildly successful show, First Take on ESPN. Between September 2023 and November 2023, Smith and Sharpe’s show dominated Bayless’ FS1 show and its new cast.
First Take averaged 554,000 viewers in that span, while Undisputed drew a measly 120,000 in comparison. The gap widened between November 27th and December 8th. First Take upped their average viewership to 581,000, while Undisputed’s dropped to 105,000. A monumental win for Sharpe over Bayless following their separation.
Sharpe also grew his two podcasts monumentally last year. Featuring former NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco Johnson, Sharpe’s Nightcap podcast gained a lot of traction in the last few months. In the pod, the trio discuss their careers, personal lives, and the sporting world in general, with the added spice of their hilarious banter. Gilbert Arenas is also a regular presence on the show. The podcast has gained notoriety among fans, and its YouTube channel has amassed close to 800,000 subscribers in less than six months.
Sharpe’s second podcast is called Club Shay Shay. The Hall of Famer invites guests from all walks of entertainment and gets candid about their life, career, and other topics on the show. He started it in 2020, but the show’s popularity has spiked since his exit from Undisputed. The intimate setting and the chemistry between Sharpe and his guests make the show unique. Club Shay Shay‘s latest episode with comedian Katt Williams is closing in on 47 million views in just nine days. The viral episode is all the Internet has been talking about this week, another incredible achievement for Sharpe.
To add to this list of accolades, Boardroom also noted how Sharpe was selected as the #1 most entertaining Sports personality by Complex last year. In other words, Unc has been unstoppable since exiting Bayless’ shadow. He’s established himself as one of the most entertaining analysts and hosts in sports media.
Why did Shannon Sharpe leave Undisputed?
Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless’ relationship was deteriorating well before his exit from the show. However, the Pro Football Hall of Famer and the veteran analyst’s relationship was damaged beyond repair after an argument about quarterback Tom Brady. During the debate, Bayless accused Sharpe of having a vendetta against Brady. The veteran analyst dismissed his co-host’s comments as jealousy, saying:
“This is straight hate by a guy who’s jealous that [Brady]’s still playing at a high level at 45 when you had to stop at 35, that’s the point. [Brady]’s way better than you were. Way better.”
Sharpe revealed on the Stephen A. Smith Show that Bayless’ sinister comment was the end of the road for their partnership:
“In that moment I had felt he had lost all respect for me. He had no respect for me. I knew in that moment in time, it was only a matter of time. They were going to have to separate that. I knew that. I knew that. I was willing to play out the contract, but I knew it was going to end because he had started coming with greater, greater regularity, the disrespect.”
In the end, Sharpe has had the last laugh. He has three wildly successful shows now and is one of the most revered analysts in sports media. His unceremonious exit worked out well for everyone, except the person responsible for it.
