Skip Bayless Returns to First Take Monthly as Stephen A. Smith Tries to Revive $100 Million Show
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 29
Skip Bayless Returns to First Take Monthly as Stephen A. Smith Tries to Revive $100 Million Show
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 29
Summary
Bayless rejoined ESPN's "First Take" last week under a deal to appear on the final Friday of every month, reviving his on-air partnership with Stephen A. Smith.
The move follows a ratings spike for their reunion and comes as "First Take" remains highly rated but trails ESPN's other studio shows in year-over-year growth.
Smith, who recently signed a five-year, $100 million ESPN contract, has said the show needs periodic change; the current format pairs him with a large rotating cast that critics say has grown stale.
Bayless built "First Take" after its 2007 launch and helped elevate Smith into a full-time role in 2012; ESPN lost more than 20% of the audience after Bayless left in 2016.
A broader reunion may still face internal resistance, with ESPN studio chief Mike Foss pushing daytime programming away from the old "embrace debate" model even as Bayless-Smith nostalgia appears to resonate.