As per data revealed by Sports Media Watch, Undisputed, the high-rated show by Skip Bayless, is wrestling with the smallest average audience since its hiatus last September ended.
A disturbing plunge in viewership numbers during their mid-morning slot is raising eyebrows and provoking intense speculation about the future of the show.
After a hiatus, the show resumed, ringing in the NCAA tournaments and gearing towards the NBA playoffs and NFL Draft.
However, instead of a pleasant surprise, only 48,000 viewers tuned in, marking a tie for the weakest audience levels for any Undisputed broadcast.
Skip Bayless's Undisputed show is currently averaging the smallest audience since it returned from hiatus last September, per Sports Media Watch
The show averaged fewer than 50,000 viewers leading into the NCAA Sweet 16s 🫣 pic.twitter.com/f5TADWK4y8
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 1, 2024
This predicament became palpable when Bayless found it challenging to snag a stable co-host to fill in for Shannon Sharpe.
This dearth of co-host was followed by a stagnant viewership that stayed relatively low even during the NFL season.
Much to Fox’s disappointment, the challenging circumstances only worsened. Following the Super Bowl, Undisputed was expected to regain its popularity.
Alas, the opposite unfolded, pushing the talk show into deeper turmoil. This declining trend is turning out to be unfavorable for the network as Bayless is one of the highest-paid talents.
The conundrum intensifies as the program, intertwined with a panel presenting rotating voices, incurs high operational costs.
This situation is causing the sports networks a hard time, casting a shadow on the survival of Undisputed in its present format throughout the year.
With Bayless’s Fox contract nearing its conclusion and the FS1 lineup granting executives several viable alternatives, it seems imprudent to continue investing in Undisputed.
As sports networks usually hold off significant changes until late summer’s period, we may anticipate some changes in alignment with the shifting dynamics.
