Fox Sports has a big decision on their hands coming this summer.
Fan favorite Shannon Sharpe is set to hit free agency unless both sides can agree on a contract, according to Front Office Sports.
“Fox Sports management has an important strategic decision to make before the next football season — and not just about NFL media rights.
Shannon Sharpe’s current contract expires after July 2021, sources said. The question now is whether Fox will finally compensate the three-time Super Bowl winner similarly to his controversial “Undisputed” co-host Skip Bayless.
Sharpe only earns about half of Bayless’ annual salary, said sources. The Pro Football Hall of Famer makes an estimated $3 million-plus annually vs. around $6 million for Bayless, the reigning enfant terrible of morning sports TV.
Yet FS1 has given Sharpe co-billing with Bayless since day one on “Skip & Shannon: Undisputed.”
At a time when the country is wrestling with racial equality, Fox has an “incredible opportunity to make a statement,” said a source. “Give Shannon Sharpe a contract that is equal pay for equal work.”
Sharpe has a huge following on social media from Instagram (1.9M) to Twitter (1.4M). According to the report, he ranks as one of the world’s leading social media influencers among both active and retired NFL players.
