Last Friday, Skip Bayless announced his departure from FS1 after Undisputed left the air after it was public knowledge that his eight-year run at the cable network was ending.
Now that the Skip Bayless Era is over at FS1 , everyone’s attention turns to what is next. Will FS1 seek to re-cast and re-tool Undisputed? Or will the network move entirely in a new direction? As of Monday morning during its regular 9:30 a.m. ET timeslot, it wasn’t clear. FS1 aired a “Best of” from First Things First featuring Nick Wright ( pegged by many as the future face of the network ), Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes. Online channel guides indicate that Undisputed was scheduled to return next Monday, August 12.
And now social media posts are only adding to the speculation of what will eventually happen with Undisputed.
An Instagram account belonging to Fox Sports wardrobe costumer Autumn Clark ( @Autumn_XII ) shared a picture of Bayless, Joy Taylor, and Shannon Sharpe with the following caption. “THE END OF AN ERA: For the past 8 years I’ve had the honor of working alongside some of the best in the business! While I’m sad to see Undisputed come to an end, I’m grateful for my time working with these amazing humans, the opportunities that this show has afforded me, and the life-long friends that I have met along the way. I’m excited for what’s next! #NewBeginnings #Undisputed #FS1 #WardrobeDept ”
What’s fascinating is that verified accounts from former stars of the show have commented. These include former moderators Joy Taylor, Jenny Taft, and Jen Hale.
The post has already gained traction on social media, where it is the lead item on the Undisputed Reddit page with a siren emoji and an all-caps statement “ UNDISPUTED OVER… ”
While this would imply Undisputed’s time on FS1 is done as Bayless has left the network, it’s certainly not official by any means as it’s just one post from one staffer on the show, who clearly has a good relationship with their colleagues. It’s reasonable to interpret the post and comments are a testament to the “End of an Era” given none of the original personalities are now with the program, but it does raise questions.
When contacted by Awful Announcing, Fox Sports declined to comment regarding any questions about the future of Undisputed or FS1’s daily lineup.
Undisputed was originally built as a sports debate show between Bayless and Sharpe and carried on like that for much of its existence. However, after Sharpe left FS1 after a high-profile breakup with Bayless, the program took a summer hiatus before debuting a new roundtable format ( a la direct competitor First Take ) with Bayless serving as host, moderator, and central pundit.
Fox has been able to add several big-name athletes to join Bayless and form a supporting cast including Richard Sherman, Michael Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson, and Paul Pierce as well as journalists like Rachel Nichols and Josina Anderson. However, the new look Undisputed failed to resonate in the ratings as the numbers declined rapidly from the time when Sharpe was on the program.
Fox has huge decisions to make about the future of the programming for FS1 and which existing or new talent will be a part of the next chapter.
It’s possible Undisputed returns with a different host, moderator, or panelists. Already Danny Parkins has been touted as a potential contender . The show could take on a new format entirely while keeping the Undisputed name or it could be renamed while keeping its general focus the same. Whatever does end up happening, it will be a significant change from what we’ve seen during the morning hours at FS1 over the last eight years.
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