As far as television ratings go, there’s reportedly no competition between Stephen A. Smith and ESPN’s “Undisputed” show and Skip Bayless’ FS1 “First Take” program.
Bayless left “Undisputed” in 2016 and began co-hosting “First Take” with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe. They ran the program for seven years together before Sharpe left the network in June.
According to a report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Smith’s show is drawing far more ratings than “First Take”, which will return to the air on Aug. 28 after a two-month hiatus:
“There’s no denying the pioneering Bayless’ huge impact on sports TV. Still, it’s clear that 11 years after Bayless saved Smith’s career by inviting him to become his full-time partner on “First Take,” their roles are increasingly reversed.
Smith has the No. 1 “Embrace Debate” morning show and nearly triples his old partner’s TV audience. As the face and voice of ESPN, Smith nearly doubles Bayless’ $8 million annual salary.”
One source even told McCarthy that Smith “is Skip’s Daddy now.”
It was widely believed that Bayless and FS1 officials would find a new full-time replacement for Sharpe. But they’re going to go with a rotation, with “Undisputed” set to feature a new lineup that will include Lil Wayne, ex-ESPN personality Rachel Nichols and former NFL All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman.
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McCarthy’s report also stated that Bayless isn’t keen on working with another well-known FS1 personality and debater Nick Wright, who co-hosts “First Things First” with Chris Broussard and Kevin Wilde.
At the end of the day, it’s not exactly surprising to hear that Smith’s show is doing far better than Bayless’ in terms of viewership. ESPN is called “The Worldwide Leader in Sports” for a reason, and Smith has never had problems drawing viewership with his never-ending list of hot takes.
