ESPN’s First Take maintains its dominance over Fox Sports 1’s Undisputed in the ratings, as reported by Front Office Sports. After the first three months of revamped shows, Stephen A. Smith averaged nearly five times more viewers. Remarkable, isn’t it?
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Following the exit of popular analyst Shannon Sharpe, Undisputed underwent an extended hiatus. Returning in late August with a revamped lineup featuring retired NFL players Keyshawn Johnson, Michael Irvin, and Richard Sherman alongside Skip Bayless. They tried to fill Sharpe’s void. Meanwhile, First Take continued its success seamlessly. When First Take added Sharpe to its lineup, the show experienced some of its most successful episodes to date.
Fox Sports struggled to recapture the allure of Skip and Shannon’s era, and the dream seems distant. The audience, more drawn to the tested and effective debate show model crafted by Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe, further distances the once-prominent Fox Sports.
From September to November, the first three full months with Shannon Sharpe in the lineups, First Take averaged 554,000 viewers, while Undisputed significantly lagged behind at just 120,000. Moreover, November marked the most-watched month in First Take’s history, boasting an average of 614,000 viewers.
Fans Claim There’s No Coming Back for Skip Bayless
Undisputed’s revamped edition had its moments, with a viral segment during the first week as Bayless’ new partners engaged in a heated debate about wide receivers and cornerbacks. Despite these highlights, fans believe it falls short of dethroning First Take as the top sports talk show on TV for Fox Sports 1. Some fans feel sorry for Skip Bayless while others feel he is deserving of the viewership results.
Prior to the revamped Undisputed’s debut, many at the network harbored low expectations. Fox insiders were reportedly disappointed, viewing the introduction of a rotating lineup of guests as a mimicry of First Take. The departure of Shannon Sharpe from Fox Sports also impacted Undisputed’s average viewership on YouTube.
Furthermore, current fan preferences lean towards listening to shows like New Heights and The Pat McAfee show rather than engaging with debate shows, where analysts are perceived to heavily favor their preferred teams and criticize those they dislike.
