Skip Bayless Announces Departure from ‘Undisputed’

First Shannon Sharpe, now Skip Bayless.

Undisputed’s ratings have remained low despite a drastic revamp featuring celebrities and athletes. As a result, Bayless’ tenure on the show is coming to an end.

The New York Post’s Ryan Glasspiege reports that Bayless is leaving Undisputed after an eight-year run as co-host. His final show will air later this summer.

The revamped show couldn’t compete with the success of other FS1 midday programs and saw a significant decline in ratings. Undisputed has been struggling ever since Sharpe’s departure, coinciding with dwindling NFL season viewership. Since the Super Bowl, the situation has only worsened. This snowball effect has ultimately led to Bayless’ reported exit.

As the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournaments approached, along with the NBA playoffs and NFL Draft, Undisputed averaged just 48,000 viewers during its mid-morning slot.

Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch noted that this equates to the smallest audience any Undisputed broadcast has seen since it returned from hiatus last September.

Even with Bayless’ high-profile status, Undisputed‘s format, which featured a rotating cast of panelists, appeared unsustainable. Sports networks rarely make significant changes before the fall, but Undisputed‘s future in its current form was already precarious.

With Bayless in the final year of his four-year, $32 million contract and Undisputed‘s continued struggles after Sharpe’s exit, a parting of ways between Fox Sports and Bayless seemed inevitable.

And that is indeed what has happened.