Skip Bayless' return to ESPN's "First Take" boosted viewership by 24%, raising questions about whether the show needs him back on a regular basis.

Ever since the departure of former “First Take” co-host Shannon Sharpe, Stephen A. Smith has worked with a rotating group of guest analysts on ESPN’s hit show. But Smith is ready to see that come to ...

Skip Bayless made his return to First Take with Stephen A. Smith last Friday and it had a major impact on ratings. Per Front Office Sports, Bayless’s “first appearance on First Take in a decade drew ...

The morning show's July audience was up 26 percent vs. the same month in 2022. By Rick Porter Television Business Editor ESPN‘s First Take wrapped July with a double-digit ratings gain over the same ...

After about a 10-year hiatus, Skip Bayless was back on ESPN’s First Take battling against his familiar foe, Stephen A. Smith. From debating where LeBron James ranks on the list of all-time NBA greats, ...

Skip Bayless is coming back to where it all started. On Friday, the godfather of sports debate television will return to First Take alongside his former longtime foil, Stephen A. Smith. The duo ...

Will more appearances by Bayless follow?

Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; The ESPN logo at the Super Bowl LIX media center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Several weeks after long-time ...

ESPN's First Take "Showed Up and Showed Out" on Howard University's campus for its first HBCU stop of the 2024 football season. Popular co-hosts and HBCU alums Shannon Sharpe (Pro Football Hall of ...

ESPN president of content Burke Magnus told The Athletic on Thursday that the company will take 30 to 45 days to try out a variety of people for the “First Take” hosting role that had been filled by ...

A new era at “First Take” will soon begin. One month after host Molly Qerim abruptly left the ESPN program and the network, it was announced in October 2025 that “SportsCenter” anchor Shae Cornette ...

ESPN has officially named Shae Cornette as the new host of First Take, replacing longtime anchor Molly Qerim just days before the NBA season tips off, Front Office Sports reports. Cornette will join ...