ESPN First Take co-host Stephen A. Smith gave an understandably confident response when CNN’s Abby Phillip asked him about his ratings dominance over his former co-host Skip Bayless.
Bayless left First Take in 2016 to co-host Undisputed on Fox Sports 1. In June, Bayless co-host Shannon Sharpe exited the show, at which point the program took a hiatus. The program returned this week, with Bayless hosting with Michael Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson, and Richard Sherman.
“One of your competitors, Skip Bayless – as many people may know – launched a revamped show this week,” Phillip said to Smith. “And your show, First Take crushed him in the ratings. So, there were a lot of headlines about how all the co-hosts were shouting over him and dominating the airwaves on Bayless’ show. What were your thoughts about that and how it went?”
Smith responded by saying that as long as he is on First Take, the show will dominate the ratings. He added that he wants Undisputed to remain in second in perpetuity:
Well, listen, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it were not for Skip Bayless giving me the opportunity to bring me on the show First Take in 2012. He’s a friend and a brother, and I’m eternally grateful to him for the opportunity that he gave me.
But he’s on the other side now. Michael Irvin is a friend of mine. Keyshawn Johnson is a friend of mine. Richard Sherman’s a friend of mine. Michael Irvin and myself and Keyshawn Johnson and myself, are very, very close. We’re like brothers to one another. But they know what time it is. They’re on the other side. And so, as a result of that, primarily Skip Bayless and Undisputed, they do what they do at FS1. I do what I do at First Take.
I arrived in 2012. We’ve been number one since. He departed in 2016. We’ve been number one. He was gone from 2016 to 2023. We still– First Take still remains number one. And as far as I’m concerned, as long as I’m on the show, we’re gonna stay number one because I don’t play to lose.
And so, knock on wood, who knows what’s going to happen? God has blessed me and Molly Qerim and all the producers and all the honchos at ESPN to be number one. But Abby Phillip, I don’t play to lose. I’m here to win. I’m not rooting against Skip Bayless or all of my brothers, but I am rooting for myself. I don’t want them to fail. I just want them to be perpetually in second place to First Take and I aim for it to be exactly that in anything that I do. It’s just that simple to me.
According to Front Office Sports, Undisputed “drew 131,000 viewers on Monday to 448,000 for ESPN’s top-rated First Take.”
The outlet reported that the ratings gap between the two shows widened in subsequent days.
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