End of an Era! Skip Bayless leaves Fox Sports after 8 years of ‘Undisputed’ show

Skip Bayless leaves FS1 without on-air sendoff, citing desire to pursue other opportunities amid declining ratings.

End of an Era! Skip Bayless leaves Fox Sports after 8 years of ‘Undisputed’ show

Skip Bayless leaves Fox Sports (via NJ.com/Deadline)

Skip Bayless has left FS1 after weeks of speculation about his departure. He announced his exit on Twitter as his show, Undisputed, went off the air, thanking his audience and colleagues.

Bayless’ departure was not acknowledged on-air, and he was not given a sendoff, unlike his former colleague Shannon Sharpe, who received a farewell when he left the program. This has raised questions about whether the decision not to acknowledge Bayless’ departure was his own or the network’s. Skip Bayless stated that he is leaving to pursue other opportunities, but it is unclear what those opportunities are. It is uncertain who else might be interested in hiring the 72-year-old pundit.

Today was my last show on Undisputed. I'm leaving FS1. I've been planning to pursue other opportunities for several months. I had a great 8-year run with a lot of great people at FOX, but now I'm excited for what’s coming up. Stay tuned.
Skip Bayless wrote on X

The departure of Bayless comes as Undisputed’s ratings have been declining, and FS1 may be looking to revamp its programming. It remains to be seen whether Bayless or FS1 will be able to find success in their future endeavors.

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Stephen A. Smith shuts down possibility of Skip Bayless returning to First Take

Stephen A. Smith, the star of ESPN’s First Take, has ruled out the possibility of Skip Bayless returning to the show as a full-time host or guest debater. Smith stated on his YouTube channel that he has moved on from working with Bayless and that their partnership was over.

Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, together as partners, working across from each other on a debate show, is over. It's been over. This is not the first time I've said it. There's no negativity or shade being shown at Skip Bayless. I have moved on.
Stephen A. Smith said on The Stephen A. Smith Show
YouTube video

Bayless was an original member of First Take and worked alongside Smith from 2012 to 2016, making the show one of the most popular in sports media. However, Bayless left ESPN in 2016 to join FS1 and create Undisputed with Shannon Sharpe.

Sharpe has since returned to ESPN and joined First Take, where he and Smith have enjoyed success as friendly rivals. Smith’s comments confirm that Bayless will not be returning to First Take, and an ESPN spokesperson has also stated that the network is “set” with its current rotation and wishes Bayless well in his future endeavors.

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