Max Kellerman's Future At ESPN Is Up In Air, With Both Radio And TV Shows Ending | Bobby Burack
Two years ago, Max Kellerman was among the most visible faces at ESPN. He appeared daily alongside Stephen A. Smith on First Take, the most discussed sports program on air.
Today, Kellerman finds his future is up in the air.
ESPN plans to cancel both his daily radio show, Keyshawn, J-Will, and Max, and television show, This Just In.
The decisions leave Kellerman without a home and a salary of around $5 million. The combination makes him uniquely vulnerable as talent layoffs loom in the coming weeks.
In 2016, Kellerman co-hosted two successful shows in SportsNation and afternoon drive radio in Los Angeles. He then moved to First Take to replace Skip Bayless who left for FS1.
The move proved to be a short-term promotion, in both salary and relevance.
But Kellerman never meshes with Stephen A. Smith, who admitted to trying to remove Kellerman from the program three of the five years they were together.
The stint with Smith framed Kellerman as lightweight and left him without much value upon his exit.
In theory, Kellerman moving to morning radio and his own afternoon TV show was not a substantial downgrade.
In reality, it was.
Morning radio at ESPN was doomed before he joined. It had been doomed since the end of Mike & Mike in 2017. And his afternoon television shows aired in the dead zone of 2 pm, with little promotion or creativity.
He was also given an unpleasant schedule, broadcasting first at 6 am on radio and not signing off until 3 pm on television. Kellerman also hosted a weekly boxing program called Max on Boxing.
Max Kellerman
ESPN didn't position Kellerman to win post-First Take. Yet that's the case when you make that much money and are no longer part of the show that justified your salary.
Therefore it's hard to envision a path forward at ESPN. He would have to take a significant pay cut to remain with the company long-term, and likely settle for a minuscule role as a boxing analyst.
Presumably, Kellerman could do better than that on the open market. Though even as he approaches 50, the jury is still out on whether he's an A or a B talent. His last few years at ESPN suggest he's more likely the latter.
Still, Kellerman is talented. Talented enough to be an A. He's also an avowed liberal. Could he be a fit on MSNBC or CNN? Both networks need the name-power that Kellerman provides.
In sports, Kellerman could carve out a non-exclusive role with a boxing partner such as DAZN or Showtime. Said route would allow him to sign a separate deal with a TV or radio network.
FanDuel TV is currently building out a lineup and already features his former SportsNation co-host Michelle Beadle. Kellerman would add value to FanDuel as a TV host and someone who could drive sign-ups for boxing bets.
His market could also depend on who else is available. ESPN plans to clear some $30 million in layoffs. The process should see multiple name-talents enter free agency when their contract expires. If Kellerman is part of those cuts, he could either be the biggest name slashed or not even among the top 5.
The variance of future outcomes for Kellerman is wide.
Perhaps Kellerman peaked years ago and will settle for a lesser role in media.
Or he could join the growing list of personalities who found more success after ESPN: Colin Cowherd, Bill Simmons, Charissa Thompson, Will Cain, Ryen Russillo, Dan Le Batard, and Mike Tirico.
Ultimately, Kellerman finds his career in a sea of uncertainty just a few years after emerging as a household name on First Take,