Stephen A. Smith & ESPN Could Ditch $85 Million Deal to Poach Key FS1 Employee After Skip Bayless’ Departure

Skip Bayless, often known for his fiery debates and controversies during his 8-year stint on FS1’s Undisputed, went out quietly. His last episode saw him carry out business as usual before dropping the news of his departure on X. This has left Fox in a tight situation, with decreasing viewership and losing their second high-profile host in as many years. But there could be more trouble brewing for the network.

Bayless’ departure after 8 years of service to Fox, raises a few concerns. A new format that saw Bayless as the moderator with a rotating set of panelists following Shannon Sharpe’s exit last year hasn’t worked with declining ratings and falling behind ESPN’s ‘First Take.‘ And it is ESPN who could be the harbinger of more bad news for FS1.

With Bayless leaving FS1 only has one thing as part of their vision – to keep Colin Cowherd happy. After all, he’s their biggest star. The 60-year-old’s sports talk show “THE HERD” on Fox Sports Radio and his podcasts are a major hit with the fans, making him susceptible to hunting from media networks like his former home ESPN. But for Fox, it would be a massive hit.

As per FS1 insider, “The thing holding that entire network together is Colin. Just like ESPN’s day is dependent on Stephen A., FS1’s day is dependent on Colin.”

Cowherd’s current contract expires in early 2025, after the conclusion of the NFL season. ESPN could be willing to make the move to help its radio show which has seen a loss of talent and ratings over the years. Names like Dan Le Batard, Mike Golic Sr., Trey Wingo, and Will Cain have all departed one by one. But getting Cowherd would mean a big-money play by ESPN.

Despite the network axing nearly 20 on-air talents slightly over a month ago, they are willing to fork out the big bucks. They have made Stephen A. Smith a reported 90 million five-year deal to keep him and in October 2023, Pat McAfee brought his show to the network in a deal worth $85 million over 5 years. The primary reason for the move: it was a hit among football fans. But now, the network may have an even bigger fish in sight with Cowherd.

Interestingly since McAfee’s debut on ESPN, The Herd registered record ratings on FS1. While The Herd’s ratings went by 19 percent in 2023, The Pat McAfee Show declined 12 percent from SportsCenter in the same window. No doubt there are many contributing factors such as presentation, duration, etc at work, still there is no denying Cowherd’s pulling power. However, do they have the financial strength to pay heavyweights, McAfee, Stephen A. Smith, and possibly Cowherd vast sums all at once?

If Pat McAfee’s show’s ratings dip continues or the viewership keeps swaying, they might move for Cowherd’s fanbase, giving him the weekday lineup. Stephen A. Smith is already interested in bringing Sharpe to his team of rotating debate partners on “First Take” and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he pushes ESPN to make a move for Cowherd.

ESPN going for Cowherd won’t also be anything new. Last year he revealed that an unnamed now-former ESPN executive approached him to return when his last contract was nearing expiration, but he turned them saying wasn’t interested in coming back. It would make sense for ESPN to try their luck again, but where it would leave Fox?

The ratings for ‘Undisputed’ hit new lows this year. The show averaged a record 50,000 viewers for its February 27 edition while ESPN’s First Take averaged 486,000 viewers in the same window. They hit another low on Draft Day when they averaged 45,000 viewers. After Shannon Sharpe’s departure, they have mostly lagged behind First Take. Retaining Cowherd, hence becomes all the more important.

On the bright side in 2023 Nielson revealed that FS1 reached 71.375 million households edging ESPN’s number of 71.321 million. This was the first time FS1 surpassed ESPN in its 10-year history and if Cowherd stays Fox can be expected to improve that number.

While Cowherd’s future may lie with Fox Sports for at least another year or so, could we see ESPN reunite with Bayless?

Can ex-ESPN buddies Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless reunite?

Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless used to be the hosting buddies on the ‘First Take with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN2. Yet Bayless jumped from ESPN to FS1 in June 2016 despite earning a name and having a great time at ESPN for about 12 years. So when the news got out that Bayless was going to leave FS1, it was expected that the old legends would reunite as Bayless would make an entry on the ‘First Take’ as a guest debater.

However, all hope went down the drain when Stephen A. Smith himself announced, “Stephen A: Skip and I are finished as a TV tandem.”

The reason Smith cited for direct rejection was that his current First Take partner, Shannon Sharpe, used to be the on-air partner of Bayless at Fox Sports. Given how things ended between Sharpe and Bayless, getting them together may not be an ideal move. In fact, 2 weeks ago, an ESPN spokesperson spoke with FOS: “We are set with the current First Take rotation, and wish Skip the best on his future endeavors.”

But Bayless did hint at something new for him in his tweet which announced his departure from Fox.  Taking to X, he wrote, “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.”

So, even though a reunion may not be on the cards, Bayless may have something interesting planned. Besides, Stephen A. Smith is already doing well for ESPN alongside Sharpe. And if they presumably get to land Cowherd before his contract termination, it will be the era of revival for ESPN.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.