Skip Bayless will remain at Fox Sports for the foreseeable future and is getting paid very well for staying put.
According to NY Post media reporter Andrew Marchand, Bayless and Fox Sports agreed to a massive four-year $32 million contract that would make the 69-year-old hot take artist one of the best-paid sports media personalities on air today.
Via NY Post
After lengthy negotiations, it culminated in Fox Sports retaining Bayless with a four-year, $32 million contract, according to sources.
As part of the agreement, Bayless, a professional provocateur, continues to do his daily morning sports debate show on FS1’s “Undisputed” with Shannon Sharpe. Bayless and FS1 are in the early planning stage of a potential second daily show for the afternoons. At this point, Bayless is expected to be a solo act for the program.
Apparently, ESPN was involved in driving Skip’s price up by trying to lure him away from Fox to reunite him with Stephen A. Smith.
NEWS: ESPN made a huge offer to reunite Skip Bayless with Stephen A, but Fox Sports retained Bayless with a four-year, $32M contract, The Post has learned.https://t.co/hBkUoxL0Pp
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) March 4, 2021
ESPN made a full-court press to reunite Skip Bayless with Stephen A. Smith, The Post has learned.
The duo would have done a daily ESPN+ show together, while being splashed over ESPN, including weekly spots on “Monday Night Football’s” halftime show.
Smith, who makes close to $8 million per year, was a driving force in ESPN’s recruitment of Bayless. The long negotiations went over several months and did not conclude until late fall.
In August, ESPN offered the 69-year-old Bayless a four-year deal in the $30 million range. There is disagreement among sources of ESPN’s best offer, as sources had it as high as $31 million and as low as $26.5 million. The desire, though, was unquestioned.
While SKip is set to get paid, his “Undisputed” co-host Shannon Sharpe is negotiating a pay raise with Fox Sports and is looking for $6 million but it’s unclear whether he’s going to get it or not.
Shannon Sharpe’s current contract with Fox Sports expires after July 2021, per Front Office Sports
"Sharpe earns about half of Bayless’ annual salary, said sources. The Pro Football Hall of Famer makes an estimated $3 million-plus annually vs. around $6 million for Bayless." pic.twitter.com/bRerTBz29t
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 3, 2021