As Skip Bayless attempts to salvage his FS1 show, Dan Le Batard believes the longtime hot-take artist grossly underestimated the importance of Shannon Sharpe.
During an episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz last week, Le Batard predicted Stephen A. Smith would “shake the industry with his next contract” while simultaneously predicting the industry may be done with Bayless.
“We’re watching the end of Skip Bayless because his numbers, those numbers are so bad,” Le Batard said, citing Undisputed’s floundering ratings.
According to Sports Media Watch, Undisputed averaged a record-low 50,000 viewers on Tuesday, Feb. 27. In comparison, First Take averaged 486,000 viewers on the same day. Further depicting a grim ratings picture for Undisputed, Bayless’s FS1 show averaged 78,000 viewers in the week after Super Bowl LVIII, compared to First Take’s 548,000 average.
“We were doing twice those numbers on ESPN News,” Le Batard continued. “Like, he’s coming to the end of his contract, and Nick Wright is here to have the money that FOX has to offer. And Colin Cowherd’s going to be able to do whatever he wants with him and his company and Shannon Sharpe, and they’re going to compete at the top of the game—the sports media games and the athlete games at the top of the business.”
Sharpe’s void was always going to be difficult to fill after the Pro Football Hall of Famer departed FS1 and Undisputed last year. But Sharpe’s departure wasn’t supposed to be the beginning of the end for Bayless, and that’s exactly how it appears six months into their divorce.
“Skip Bayless underestimated that he needed Shannon Sharpe for that show to be successful,” Le Batard said.
Bayless underestimated Sharpe, Fox underestimated Sharpe, most of us underestimated Sharpe. Everyone knew his exit was going to be a blow to Undisputed, but did anyone expect it to be this bad for First Take’s supposed competition? Considering the success of Club Shay Shay and Nightcap, along with the attention he garners every time he’s sparring with Stephen A. Smith on First Take, it’s hard to imagine Undisputed would be struggling this much if Fox aligned with Sharpe over Bayless last summer.
[The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz]
