“Losing Shannon was a ginormous loss” – Skip Bayless’ Undisputed hitting an all-time low with less than 50,000 viewers since it returned from hiatus last September sparks WILD reactions on social media

(L) Shannon Sharpe and (R) Skip Bayless (Image via IMAGO)

Undisputed, hosted by Skip Bayless, is going through its worst phase since they returned from hiatus last year. The seven-year-old FOX Sports 1 show saw its viewership drop below an average of 50,000.

As there’s no NFL game on TV, people are focusing more on watching other sporting events. There were several taking place last week, including the first game of the new MLB season, which reached an average of 1.58 million (Chicago Cubs vs. Texas Rangers). NBA regular-season games between the Milwaukee Bucks and the New Orleans Pelicans averaged 285,000 on NBA TV.

With these many games, there should be plenty to talk about for a sports analysis show like FS1’s Undisputed. It has always been a go-to destination for most sports fans, but the situation has changed over the last few years.

Despite a star-studded line-up of Keyshawn Johnson and Michael Irvin alongside Skip Bayless, the FOX show’s viewership continues to dwindle. Sports Media Watch‘s Jon Lewis reported that a recent episode of Undisputed averaged only around 48,000 since it returned in September.

Why are sports fans losing interest in Undisputed?

Skip Bayless has been with Undisputed since its inception in 2016. Since then, several faces have come and gone through the doors as his co-host, but one guy stuck around. Bayless brought in the Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe as an analyst. Sharpe’s personality and knowledge about football made him a fan favorite, which allowed the show to average around 120,000 viewers.

It peaked at 499,000 viewers following FS1’s English telecast of England vs. Iran. Despite its popularity, there were seeds of conflict that began to surface during the show’s segments. Sharpe was unhappy with Bayless‘ constant attempts to belittle him and his football career, referencing Tom Brady and his longevity.

The former Denver Broncos man often criticized as Bayless’ favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys, which never sat well with the veteran. Eventually, Sharpe had to call his time, unable to bear the alleged toxic environment. He left FOX after the NBA Finals in 2023. Most fans tuned in to watch Sharpe, and since he wasn’t there any longer, they lost interest.

 

Undisputed has been losing viewers since it returned with Johnson and Irvin as the additional cast of the show. On the other hand, Sharpe signed with ESPN’s biggest competitor, ESPN’s First Take, to partner with Stephen A. Smith. Their viewership has seen steady growth.