One of the juggernaut sports pundits of our era is allegedly leaving his role. After joining Fox Sports in 2016 and making Undisputed one of the more popular sports commentary shows on cable television, Skip Bayless will reportedly leave the series. What’s more, one of the main faces of FS1 will step down from the show much sooner than readers might expect.
Reports of Bayless leaving Undisputed were first reported by the New York Post. While there are no reasons given at the time of writing as to why Skip is moving on from the show he helped put on the map, it’s reported his final episode will take place at some point later this summer. The sports personality has not responded to reports about his leaving, and representatives with Fox Sports declined to comment as well.
Based on the early reports, Skip Bayless leaving Undisputed will come a little over a year after his co-host Shannon Sharpe departed the program following years of chaotic exchanges with his broadcasting partner. Tensions really seemed to flair between them after a difference in opinion on how they responded to when Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field. Nothing was ever definitively confirmed, but Sharpe left months later and joined ESPN to co-host First Take with Stephen A. Smith.
Shannon Sharpe struggled initially with calling Smith “Skip,” much to the delight of the internet who frequently responded to it. Smith never took offense to the slip up, and even went so far as to defend Sharpe, noting that his mistake was understandable. Despite those hiccups, ESPN released a report that First Take had its most-watched year ever with Sharpe joining the program.
Back at FS1, Skip Bayless was given new co-hosts on Undisputed. While legendary sports stars like Paul Pierce were of interest to longtime viewers, reports say that the show never truly regained the momentum it lost after taking a break following Shannon Sharpe’s departure.
The big question is what’s next for Skip Bayless, as Undisputed will allegedly continue on once he’s gone. Bayless signed a $32 million-a-year deal for four years in March 2021, so perhaps Fox Sports will make pitches to try and retain him with a new series while the show goes on without him.
Another possibility is that the 72-year-old sports pundit is waiting out his contract to make a move elsewhere. While he’s been critical of his former employer ESPN in the past, I could see him being welcomed back on the network with open arms. I don’t think it’s outrageous to believe Bayless might be looking into going solo and running his own podcast or program supported by his large following on social media. Maybe he’s even considering retirement, and we’ll just have to wait and see if and when he’ll speak about it.
There’s a lot of great television on the 2024 TV schedule, but it’s looking like watching Skip Bayless’ final episodes on Undisputed just became a priority for me. Tune in to see him on FS1 on weekdays starting at 9:30 a.m. ET.