Fox Sports
Skip Bayless’ revamped “Undisputed” featuring Keyshawn Johnson, Richard Sherman, and Michael Irvin is off to a rough start.
Earlier this week, the new “Undisputed” show went viral when Bayless looked depressed while his co-hosts yelled over him and didn’t allow him to speak.
Skip’s new partners won’t let him speak 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/S3q65egZMo
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 28, 2023
One source told Front Office Sports that putting Johnson, Sherman, Irvin, and Bayless on at the same time was a mistake by the Undisputed producers.
“It was a panicked producer’s decision to put everyone on Day 1. That is what desperation looks like,” said the source. “What did they think would happen with four Type A talkers? In an effort to do a show where (Skip) took on everyone, he ended up as a host.”
The newly revamped ‘Undisputed’ is currently getting crushed by ‘First Take’ in the ratings.
The new cast and format changes didn’t help much for weekday morning show.
The premiere of the new and improved “Undisputed Live” drew 131,000 viewers on Monday to 448,000 for ESPN’s top-rated “First Take,” according to sources.
The gap widened on Tuesday, with “Undisputed Live” averaging 120,000 viewers to 474,000 for “First Take.”
On Wednesday, “Undisputed Live” plunged to 78,000 viewers vs. 423,000 for “First Take.”
The first three days of Bayless’ revamped program drew fewer viewers than Sharpe’s final episodes in June, which averaged 154,000 viewers to “First Take’s” 421,000.
Only time will tell if Skip can right the ship at Undisputed but it’s not looking good so far.