Skip Bayless returning to ‘First Take’ with Stephen A. Smith every Friday

It’s official: Skip Bayless is going back to ESPN, where he will join Stephen A. Smith to make recurring appearances on First Take beginning this month.

Smith made the announcement Friday afternoon while Bayless was joining him on his SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio show. The duo announced Bayless will join Smith every Friday on SiriusXM, and the last Friday of every month on First Take.

“Let me alert the public to what’s going on,” Smith began. “On Fridays, yours truly and the one and only Skip Bayless will be joining me on this show. So, let’s get that out the way. That’s every Friday, the beatdown is coming, my condolences to you. But the other part that everybody needs to know, starting next week, the last Friday of every single month, Skip Bayless will join yours truly on First Take. You are back, my brother.”

After a decade-long hiatus from ESPN, Bayless returned to First Take for a one-day reunion with Smith earlier this year. And regardless of whether it was a hit with sports fans, it was a hit with Bayless, who told Smith the reunion they had last May was the “most fun” he had in a long time, while sharing his excitement about getting to do it again.

“I am personally highly entertained by getting to sit across from you,” Bayless told Smith. “You are a one and an only, and I do believe what you and I had, and will have, is a one and an only.”

Much like Chris “Mad Dog” Russo’s cameo on First Take turned into weekly appearances years ago, an official return for Bayless was similarly predictable. It quickly became clear that Smith and Bayless had mutual interest in turning last May’s reunion into more regular appearances. And it became even more predictable once Smith lost Cam Newton and Ryan Clark from First Take to layoffs over the summer. The question was whether they could figure out a contract that works for Bayless and ESPN. And it seems they have.

After being the focal point of First Take decades ago, Bayless will now settle into a lesser role and salary on the show he helped build for Smith and ESPN. But this will also serve as a great promotional tool for Bayless. Beyond enjoying the chance to work with Smith again, Bayless will also benefit from the notoriety and attention that still come with being on ESPN. Bayless recently relaunched Gridiron with Aqib Talib after the show’s fallout with Underdog, and now he’ll be able to use ESPN and Stephen A. Smith’s platform to promote his digital show.

Their reunion in May was a chance to recycle old debates about Tim Tebow, the Dallas Cowboys, and LeBron James. And even if sports fans weren’t clamoring for it, Bayless and Smith proved there is still intrigue when they start yelling about sports together. That intrigue would fade if they were back at it five days a week. But once a week on the radio and once a month on TV is probably just enough to create viral clips and headlines without overexposing their schtick.