FS1 has spent millions and millions of dollars on personalities over the last several years to try to somehow compete with ESPN on a daily basis. They’ve done so by giving the majority of that airtime and financial backing to two Bristol retreads – Colin Cowherd and Skip Bayless. But amazingly, neither one of them has the strongest show on FS1 in spite of their longevity, salaries, and name recognition. No, that honor belongs to First Things First starring Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes.
First Things First has consistently become the most popular show on FS1’s daily rundown, which also consists of Undisputed, The Herd, and Speak. And perhaps most significantly, First Things First both outdraws its lead-in (Herd) and program that follows (Speak) showing that there is an audience that is showing up for just that program.
While you can credit all three cast members with that distinction, it’s clear to anyone that Wright is the star of the show as the most vibrant personality on set. Wright began at FS1 all the way back in 2016 and launched First Things First as the network’s early AM show in 2017. Originally paired with Cris Carter, Wright is now joined by Broussard, and the program was moved to the mid-afternoon in 2022 after Craig Carton came to FS1 to fill the early AM slot.
Now airing in mid-afternoon, the show has blossomed largely thanks to Wright. In a world of knock-off Bayless clones, everything about him is unique. Still on the younger side of 40, he brings an unabashed modern-day viewpoint. And whether you agree with him or not, he clearly believes in everything he says because he can bring facts to back it up. Sure he can go overboard with his Kansas City Chiefs homerism, but at least it’s not pantomime performance art that solely revolves around the Dallas Cowboys like every other show. Take his recent takedown of Aaron Rodgers. Yes, everyone in the world has a Rodgers take but none was as definitive or as comprehensive as Wright’s was.
To his credit, Wright admitted he evolved from focusing on creating clicks to improving the entire show and bettering ratings. With First Things First regularly hitting over 200,000 viewers, it’s a strategy that is working. It also doubles Undisputed viewership on many days. That’s right. Doubles. While one may still get more clicks because the host will say anything to stay relevant, the other is actually establishing a following.
The contracts of Bayless and Cowherd should be up in 2025. Now is the best possible time for FS1 to realize that its future isn’t in ESPN stars of the past, but ones of their own like Nick Wright.
The Awful Announcing Wednesday Newsletter is a deep dive into all things sports media with original commentary, highlights from the week, social media buzz, and much more. You can read this and more by subscribing here. We send a recap of what’s been on AA on Monday and Friday mornings as well as the extended original version on Wednesdays.
