Skip Bayless Officially Leaves FS1, What's Next? Peacock, YouTube?

Skip Bayless confirmed that Friday was his last appearance on FS1 and "Undisputed," the show he hosted for the past eight years. 

"Today was my last show on Undisputed," Bayless posted on X. "I'm leaving FS1. I've been planning to pursue other opportunities for several months. I had a great 8-year run with a lot of great people at FOX, but now I'm excited for what’s coming up. Stay tuned."

Bayless' post-FS1 market is a question mark. He's 72 years old. He's not the draw he was when he joined the network in 2016, coming from ESPN. "Undisputed" struggled mightly over the past 12 months after Shannon Sharpe departed. The show sank to as low as 40,000 viewers at times. 

Skip is also expensive. His last contract with FS1 paid him around $8 million a year. Even if he's willing to take a paycut, there are not many networks lining up in search for someone like Bayless.

A return to ESPN is not in the cards. Both the network and his former co-host Stephen A. Smith released statements last month saying they have no intentions of bringing Bayless back. "We are set with the current ‘First Take’ rotation, and wish Skip the best on his future endeavors," said the network.

Therefore, Bayless is likely done on television. The question is where he can land on the digital side of the industry.

Stylistically, Skip is not a fit for Barstool, The Ringer, or Meadowlark Media. His ego is also too large to work for other sports media talents like Dave Portnoy, Bill Simmons, or Dan Le Batard.

Amazon Prime has rights contracts with both the NFL and NBA, the two leagues Bayless primarily covers. But the streaming company recently canceled its sports-talk lineup, realizing talk shows don't drive subscriptions.

NBC's Peacock could be intriguing. Peacock has a daily sports lineup that features "The Dan Patrick Show" and a few other obscure programs with Mike Florio as part of its free tier. Could Bayless lead into or follow Patrick? Perhaps. 

And with Peacock's new agreement to air NBA games two nights a week starting during the 2025-26 season, it'd make sense to bolster its next-day morning sports programming.

Peacock would also provide Bayless with the blue-chip brand association of NBC, a factor that still appeals to pundits of certain generations. 

The counter is that if Bayless couldn't move the needle at FS1 anymore, doing so on a streaming service would be even more difficult. It'd be a gamble.

Skip Bayless leaves FS1

Of course, Bayless could go independent and start his own show on YouTube or X. In 2024, one need not work for an employer to host their own live talk program.

That said, Bayless is not known as a solo host. He's not Colin Cowherd, Stephen A., or even Jim Rome, hosts who can go live with little production cost. 

Bayless needs a partner, a foe to debate. And "Undisputed" proved after Sharpe's departure that Bayless needs a partner with drawing power of their own. The overhead for Bayless to create his own show and employ a big-name debate partner could be substantial. 

He'd likely need a hefty sponsorship agreement with a gambling provider to make that scenario work.

The timing of Bayless' next move is unclear. He will want to launch his new project during the start of the football season, when interest in his content is the highest.

We expect Bayles to have something lined up before the first Dallas Cowboys game on Sep. 8. He will need to be operating at full speed by the beginning of the NBA season to discuss LeBron James' new teammate, Bronny James.

Ultimately,  Skip Bayless is unlikely to be as relevant as he was over the past 12 years. But don't write him off, just yet.