Speculation has run rampant in recent months about the future of Undisputed, Fox Sports 1's flagship studio property.
The show found notoriety pitting pundit Skip Bayless against Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe in daily televised debates, but Bayless and Sharpe's relationship reportedly deteriorated over time. Fox bought Sharpe out of his contract at the end of May, and he co-hosted his last episode of the show on June 13.
Now, Bayless has the freedom to shape Undisputed‘s lineup as he sees fit—and his choices so far have rankled Fox executives, according to a Tuesday morning report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.
"This is it? This is literally copying exactly what ESPN is doing. And it will make a bad show worse," an anonymous TV source told McCarthy.
Bayless, mimicking ESPN's carousel of guests surrounding Stephen A. Smith on First Take, will go toe-to-toe with former NFL defensive back Richard Sherman, former ESPN star Rachel Nichols and rapper Lil Wayne. Reports suggest former NFL wide receiver and ESPN personality Keyshawn Johnson could join the lineup as well.
“This is dating as opposed to marriage,” a source told McCarthy of Bayless's rotating-cast plan. “If you’re dating, all you have to do is pay for dinner. If you’re married, everything gets more expensive.”
Meanwhile, the revamped Undisputed reportedly leaves little room for Fox’s young stars—a far cry from First Take, which has given run to numerous ESPN up-and-comers.
McCarthy identified Nick Wright as a potential candidate, but a source said that Bayless wouldn't allow it.
"Skip doesn’t want to work with Nick Wright,” they told McCarthy. “Skip doesn’t want to work with anybody who will make him look bad. And Nick would disembowel him on the air.”
