Fox Sports 1’s Undisputed will undergo a significant change in the near future.
Co-host Shannon Sharpe is set to leave the program after reaching a buyout agreement with Fox Sports, according to Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post.
Sharpe reportedly will remain on the air with co-host Skip Bayless through the NBA Finals. His final appearance on the show is expected to come shortly after that, although no date has been specified.
In addition to his work on Undisputed, Sharpe’s podcast, Club Shay Shay, is also leaving the network, per the Post.
The terms of Sharpe’s buyout with FS1 have not been revealed, nor have any plans for a replacement co-host on the channel’s flagship talk show.
Sharpe, 54, and Bayless joined forces on Undisputed in 2016, back when the show premiered following Bayless’s exit from ESPN, where he co-hosted First Take alongside Stephen A. Smith.
Acrimony arose between Sharpe and Bayless following a controversial tweet from Bayless in the aftermath of Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest on the field on Jan. 2.
Bayless stood by his tweet, despite Sharpe’s urging him to take it down. Sharpe did not appear on the show the following morning. According to the Post, Sharpe wanted to have equal say with Bayless in regard to the show’s topic selection.
Prior to his career in media, Sharpe played 14 NFL seasons and was named to eight Pro Bowls as a tight end. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
