After co-hosting FS1’s ‘Undisputed’ for 7 years since its inception, Shannon Sharpe bid farewell to the beloved program that became the face of sports talk in the US. This occurred right after the NBA Finals when the show was averaging 154,000 viewers. Subsequently, it was only expected that the viewership would decline multifold; hence, the co-host that remained, Skip Bayless, and the management, decided to add two sparring partners — Michael Irvin and Keyshawn Johnson.
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Shannon Sharpe, on the other hand, went to join hands with former ‘Undisputed’ Stephen A. Smith on the latter’s show ‘First Take’ on ESPN. So, the question remains — has the ‘Undisputed’ been able to maintain its numbers, and if Sharpe’s joining ‘First Take’ brought any changes?
According to Sports Media Watch, Skip’s show managed to attract only 50,000 viewers on average on this Tuesday, which is reported to be the smallest audience in its history. Other than the trio, Rachel Nicholes and Richard Sherman were featured on the show, but ever since Sherman’s DUI arrest last month, he has yet to make an appearance. This might have been the reason why the viewership got hurt. So, what about Sharpe’s ‘First Take’?
Shannon Sharpe’s New Sparring Station Has a Noticeably Larger Audience
While Undisputed took a brutal beating on Tuesday, Shannon Sharpe’s First Take, alongside Stephen A., was able to draw in a crowd of 486,000 on average — on the same day. The difference is more than massive, and it clearly shows how Sharpe wields his influence wherever he goes.
WILD…. Skip Baylee’s FS1’s ‘Undisputed’ averaged just 50,000 viewers on Tuesday, HISTORICALLY BAD numbers.
On the same day, ESPN’s First Take averaged 486,000 viewers, with Shannon Sharpe.
(Via @awfulannouncing) pic.twitter.com/OKwsQVVCGD
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) March 1, 2024
Even Unc’s ‘NightCap’ brought in over 90,000 live audiences after the conclusion of Super Bowl LVIII. It’s also worth mentioning that Sharpe’s ‘Club Shay Shay’ podcast accumulated 60 million views last month after inviting comedian Katt Williams to the show. If you’re still not surprised, there’s more.
As it turns out, this difference in viewership isn’t anything new. From September to November, when the National Football League was on the verge of announcing a few playoff contenders, Skip’s show on FS1 averaged 120,000 viewers, compared to ‘First Take’, which managed to rake in a whopping 581,000.
The NFL season has been concluded, and the fans are no longer as interested in tuning in for the Undisputed. Even in the comments, a few fans were quick to express that the show no longer feels like home — and their analysis has significantly gone downhill. However, at the same time, fans showered praise on ‘First Take’, where the addition of Unc has managed to influence such a unique yet sports fan-friendly environment.
