• Loading stock data...
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

Sharpe Boosts ‘First Take’ Ratings, Leaving Bayless Behind

  • ‘First Take’ averaged 717K viewers Tuesday to 118K for ‘Undisputed.’
  • Smith says Sharpe was ‘pushed out’ by FS1.
Melissa Rawlins / ESPN Images

Stephen A. Smith’s recruitment of Shannon Sharpe to “First Take” continues to pay dividends for ESPN.

The three-time Super Bowl champ returned to “First Take” earlier this week with Smith and Molly Qerim. 

For the second week in a row, their audiences dwarfed those of Skip Bayless’ rival “Undisputed Live” on FS1.

On Monday, after the first weekend of the NFL season, “First Take” posted 626,000 viewers to 185,000 for “Undisputed.”

On Tuesday, the day after Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending injury, “First Take” drew 717,000 viewers compared to 118,000 for “Undisputed.” 

That was the third-biggest audience for “First Take” this year, behind only Sharpe’s Labor Day debut and the Feb. 13 episode after Super Bowl 57.

Sharpe appears on “First Take” Mondays-Tuesday. The two-day average for his shows this week was up 22% from comparable episodes last season. The numbers also nearly doubled the show’s average audience of 363,000 viewers in July.

Shannon Sharpe

Shannon Sharpe Positioned As Perfect Successor To Stephen A. Smith

Sharpe could inherit a morning show that nearly triples Bayless’ audience.
August 24, 2023

With New York Jets superfan Mike Greenberg in mourning over Rodgers’ injury, “Get Up” also had a huge Tuesday, averaging 658,000 viewers for a 59% increase.

Bayless and FS1 have fought back by landing Colorado coach Deion Sanders, the hottest name in sports, two weeks in a row on “Undisputed.” 

After a shaky start, the on-air chemistry looks to be improving between Bayless and his revamped cast, including Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson, Richard Sherman, Josina Anderson, and Rachel Nichols.

Still, two straight weeks of big numbers must be satisfying for Sharpe. 

The NFL Hall of Famer left “Undisputed” in June after nearly seven years of on-air partnership with Bayless. 

During their last few months together, Sharpe and Bayless clashed several times on the air.

Smith believes Sharpe was “pushed out” by FS1. Sharpe’s situation reminded him of his own dilemma in 2009, when ESPN dropped his contract, leaving him for dead career-wise. Instead, it was Bayless who hand-picked Smith to be his partner on “First Take” in 2012, sending his career into overdrive.

“He didn’t want to leave,” Smith said about Sharpe on the Joe Budden podcast. “He was notified that ‘your services will no longer be needed.’”

Smith’s “First Take” has been No. 1 on weekday morning TV for over a decade. As the face and voice of ESPN, Smith also addressed his growing clout within the network.

“I’m at a point in time, where if I don’t want you on ‘First Take,’ you ain’t coming on ‘First Take,’” he noted.

Pat McAfee at Disney Upfront

Stephen A. Smith Adds Pat McAfee To ‘First Take’ Rotation

Smith is upping the ante on ratings battle with Skip Bayless’ “Undisputed.”
September 7, 2023

Smith is one of the highest-paid talents at ESPN, making an estimated $16 million annually. But his contract is up in two years. He’s talked openly about possibly moving on to late-night TV, entertainment, or politics.

Smith’s not going anywhere – for now. But if he does, Sharpe is perfectly positioned to become his successor on “First Take.” 

Both retweeted the Front Office Sports story pegging Sharpe as Smith’s possible successor.

Smith and Sharpe are already acting like partners, jetting out to Boulder to watch Sanders and Colorado beat visiting Nebraska on Saturday.

Sharpe tweeted a picture of him and Smith conferring in front of a private jet. “This just feels good man, I feel right at home,” he noted.

ESPN and Fox declined to comment for this story

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

exclusive

Ryan Clark Could Be On Thin Ice at ESPN After Second Public..

Clark and Peter Schrager had a tense on-air moment Friday.
Tennis

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
opinion

Brady Still Has Conflict of Interest. NFL Is Clearly Unconcerned

The league doesn’t see an issue with Brady being a minority owner.
opinion

NFL RedZone Changes Have Nothing to Do With ESPN Deal

Four 15-second spots will air over RedZone’s seven hours in Week 1.

Featured Today

Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.

NFL’s Expected Early-Season Ratings Boost Gets Off to a Stormy Start

The kickoff game somewhat resembles the delays last year in an SNF game.
Eagles
September 4, 2025

The Death of Streameast Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Mirror sites began popping up Thursday, the day the NFL season begins.
September 4, 2025

TNT Sports to Try Its Own Streaming App After WBD Split

TNT Sports will have its own app as a corporate split approaches.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
September 4, 2025

3 ABC Games Top 10M Viewers Each in ESPN’s Record CFB Weekend

Miami–Notre Dame led the way with 10.8 million viewers.
September 4, 2025

Bill Belichick’s UNC Debut Draws More Than 6M Viewers on ESPN

TCU-UNC was the fifth-most-watched college football game of Week 1.
September 3, 2025

Ohio State–Texas Showdown Was Most-Watched Week 1 CFB Game Ever

Fox drew 16.62 million viewers on Saturday afternoon.
September 2, 2025

NFL on Nielsen’s Latest Measurement Upgrade: ‘More Work to Be Done’

The league calls its relationship with the agency a “protracted journey.”