Skip Bayless' watch at Fox Sports is almost over.
On Monday night, Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post reported the controversial take artist was leaving FOX and Undisputed, the show Bayless helped build that once served as the foundation of sports coverage at the network. However, after Shannon Sharpe departed the show last year, viewership and general relevance took a steep hit. Bayless brought a new version of Undisputed to audiences in August of 2023 featuring names like Keyshawn Johnson, Rachel Nichols, Paul Pierce, and Richard Sherman. But without Sharpe to play perfect foil to Bayless, it felt like the draw was gone.
Now, Bayless is reportedly on the verge of leaving the show. No longer will he grace screens with takes about LeBron James' inability to hit clutch free throws or hold uncomfortable conversations about tweets he sent. This is a significant change in an industry accustomed to quite a bit of turnover, no matter what one thinks about Bayless.
The ramifications for FS1's programming and the larger take sphere won't be felt for a while yet. In the immediate, though, the biggest question is clear: What's next for Bayless? He's 72 years old. He has The Skip Bayless Show podcast, which currently boasts 160,000 subscribers on YouTube. As one of the fathers of Embrace Debate culture, Bayless is obviously well-suited to the nature of modern sports media. But his divisive, conflict-ridden reputation doesn't make him a clean fit at another big network like his old home of ESPN or CBS or NBC.
What makes the most sense for Bayless after Undisputed? Here are a few possibilities.
Retirement
It's natural to wonder if it's time to hang up the Jordans and wave good-bye to Skip Bayless, Drip Bayless, and every other iteration of Bayless we've come to know. And that could very well be what he decides to do. His insane morning schedule that begins with a workout at 2:30 a.m. ET is a lot for anybody and even if he finds a new job that doesn't require that kind of wake-up call it would be hard to blame him if Bayless decided he was done with such stringent routines. Plus, if Bayless decides he will only be on cable television and refuses to accept any role less than that, retirement may be the only choice should things shake out in a way that didn't result in an open slot for his skillset.
But that just doesn't feel all that likely, does it? Bayless does not seem done with the sports debate world and it's fair to wonder if he ever will be. It's quite difficult to imagine a media sphere in which Bayless isn't dishing out Dallas Cowboys takes somewhere. The longtime analyst is getting up there in age but the problems plaguing Undisputed have nothing to do with his energy or passion for the game.
He isn't just going to fade away after his final show. If anything, that's just not the Skip Bayless style.
Independent Media Venture
Bayless' podcast is branded as a FOX Sports broadcast so it is unclear what will happen once he leaves the network. Regardless, Bayless could try to build it into something larger. Something like what fellow FS1 star Colin Cowherd did with The Volume— establishing an independent media network, identifying and signing young talent with high engagement rates on their shows, and weaving his own podcast into the up-and-comers' content.
It checks a lot of boxes for Bayless. He can keep giving takes in various forms, how much success he'll find is tied to his own work rather than his perceived value in the eyes of the networks, and forging ahead on his own feels like a last frontier in modern media for Bayless after decades spent at major media networks. This path has the fewest complications and thus feels like the most likely one he'll take.
FanDuel TV
The gold mine-esque rush of sports gambling companies cutting giant checks to recruit big names in the media space ended a while ago. However, of all the companies that did so, FanDuel seems like it was most successful and FanDuel TV has a few programs still running strong with relevance in the space after the intial surge. Up & Adams with Kay Adams and Run It Back featuring Michelle Beadle and Shams Charania are still making headlines and landing big interviews a few years after launching. Would FanDuel, then, be willing to bet on Bayless?
It may make sense for both sides. Bayless would probably only consider this route if none of his other ideal opportunities panned out, which means the price tag may be low enough for FanDuel to be interested. On the company's side, Bayless is controversial but certainly drives engagement with his social media following, which is very important when pushing betting promo codes and things of that nature. Bayless would get to return to a more traditional television format and get to create something new again. A lot would have to line up, but if he doesn't end up on cable and doesn't want to go out on his own, FanDuel makes sense for Bayless.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Three Different Landing Spots for Skip Bayless After Leaving 'Undisputed' .
