Fox Sports Insiders Reportedly Upset With New Direction of Skip Bayless’ Show: ‘Literally Copying’ ESPN

Aaron M. Sprecher/AP

A Tuesday report from Front Office Sports revealed that some people within Fox Sports are unhappy with the revamped version of FS1’s flagship debate show Undisputed.

The show, led by Skip Bayless, has been on hiatus since Shannon Sharpe’s departure from the network after the 2023 NBA Finals in June. Bayless took to Twitter to reveal that the show would be returning August 28.

Behind the scenes, however, FS1 has struggled to find a suitable replacement for Sharpe due to Bayless’ strict demands. Some in-house analysts — including LeSean McCoy, Emmanuel Acho and Joy Taylor — were reportedly under consideration for the role. Instead, the network has elected to build of a rotation of co-hosts to verbally spar with Bayless. That rotation will include ex-ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols and retired NFL player Richard Sherman.

It’s an identical format to ESPN’s First Take — which has Stephen A. Smith debate with variety of colleagues — and sources close to Fox aren’t happy about that.

“This is it?” one source told FOS. “This is literally copying exactly what ESPN is doing. And it will make a bad show worse. Rachel Nichols has never been a debater or given opinions. She’s a great interviewer. So this is a classic miscast.”

Sources also said that Bayless isn’t interested in the in-house talent out of fear of looking bad during the morning debates.

Nick Wright — a commentator on FS1’s First Things First — is frequently brought up on the internet as a potential match. Bayless is a famously harsh critic of NBA superstar LeBron James, while Wright has established himself as James’ biggest supporter in the national media. Wright is also knowledgeable and quick-witted enough to keep up with Bayless in a debate. That dynamic alone, as people have suggested, would make for good TV.

Unfortunately, Bayless reportedly refuses to work with anyone that would be his equal in a debate.

“Skip doesn’t want to work with Nick Wright,” a source said. “Skip doesn’t want to work with anybody who will make him look bad. And Nick would disembowel him on the air.”