What’s next for FS1 after Skip Bayless?

This summer was bound to be an inflection point for FS1 given that the network faced a contract decision on Skip Bayless. Now, with its decision to move on from one of its founding faces in Bayless, FS1 can make moves toward whatever the next era of Fox’s sports cable network will be.

Initial reports from Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post indicate that FS1 plans to keep Undisputed going without Bayless, whose final show will be later this summer . The panel format has not worked since Shannon Sharpe departed last summer, with shockingly low viewership that likely led Fox Sports to part with Bayless in the first place.

However, the network already reshaped the talent pool around Bayless over the past year. And they could likely keep Undisputed going if they want to, with some combination of Keyshawn Johnson, Paul Pierce, Richard Sherman, and Rachel Nichols playing key roles.

If Fox Sports wants to try and salvage or reinvigorate the show’s audience, several sports media free agents could be useful in replacing Bayless. Former ESPNers Max Kellerman and Jalen Rose have experience anchoring studio shows and would bring recognizable brands. FS1 has a small but decent stable of developing talent including Jason McIntyre, former NFL receiver James Jones, and Chicago host Danny Parkins.

Glasspiegel reported that FS1 intends to keep First Things First and Speak intact in the afternoon block, which limits the network’s flexibility when it comes to reshuffling talent. They clearly don’t want to risk ruining solid shows to try and fix Undisputed .

That logic is sound. After all, FS1’s clear-cut star Colin Cowherd is up for a new contract next year. Cowherd’s show remains a big draw for Fox Sports on radio and television, and he has given no indication he would leave. However, The Herd and Undisputed are connected in a few ways.

They share a studio space in Los Angeles, where Undisputed leads into The Herd each morning. Any changes to The Herd , and of course the departure of Cowherd, would spell significant priority changes for FS1 that would bleed into every other show.

At the same time, Bayless’ departure can be an opportunity for FS1, and not just by saving money by not paying his contract.

Like all cable news networks in 2024, it’s time to cut costs and evolve. Expensive daytime studio shows made for television just don’t hold their own financially in the way they used to, with splintered audiences and falling carriage fees. What if FS1 could use Bayless’ departure to shake up its approach to FS1’s lineup more broadly?

The network could begin a pivot away from studio programming more toward the Cowherd model. The Dan Patrick Show is already on Fox Sports Radio at the same time Undisputed airs on FS1. Could Fox negotiate with NBC to get broadcast rights for Patrick’s radio show through his retirement in 2027?

Or would Fox get into business with a newcomer like FanDuel or DraftKings to simulcast their budding network of digital shows? Could we see Golic & GoJo from DraftKings Network on FS1? Could Kay Adams’ Up & Adams show up on FS1? These networks are looking for broader distribution and use their content largely as marketing for their sportsbooks as much as anything.

As we’ve seen with ESPN2, which hardly exists as a standalone network anymore, the main and sometimes only thing that media companies care about with their sports networks these days is live games. FS1 just aired an incredibly well-watched “ Summer of Soccer ” with both the Copa América and European championships. They are getting over a million people to watch Team USA men’s basketball exhibition games. In the fall, FS1 will air MLB playoff games and lots of college sports.

The network has a solid foothold as a must-have for sports fans. But it never got close to competing with ESPN’s daytime audience and never established a real digital presence.

Pivoting from Bayless and perhaps ultimately Undisputed won’t solve all of FS1’s issues. But given Bayless’ history as the face of the network and the fact that he and Undisputed were the one constant on FS1 over the years, the end of this chapter gives FS1 a chance to think differently and adapt to what it really wants the network to be in the 2020s and beyond.

Kellerman or Rose could make Undisputed a better show. Maybe that, combined with continued growth in FS1’s afternoon block plus the return of Cowherd next year, make FS1 viable enough for Fox to maintain investment in its studio lineup for a while longer.

Alternatively, Fox Sports could use the opportunity of Bayless’ departure to slide even more toward being a live sports-first network. And that might get costs back in control for a network that never really fulfilled its vision in the first place.

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