FS1 has released their first month ratings for Skip Bayless & Shannon Sharpe “Undisputed” and they believe it shows that Skip Bayless made First Take popular as oppose to First Take making Skip Bayless popular.
SKIP AND SHANNON: UNDISPUTED has made an undeniable impact on FS1 during its first month on the air. The network’s newest daily all-sports opinion show has boosted year-over-year viewership in its time slot significantly, and has helped increase viewership for subsequent shows and the channel overall.
Starring award-winning journalist and well-known sports talk TV personality Skip Bayless and three-time Super Bowl Champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, the show has resonated with viewers since its launch on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
UNDISPUTED’s presence in the 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM ET morning time slot has significantly tightened the gap between FS1 and ESPN2. During September of 2015, ESPN2’s average viewership was 23 times that of FS1. In 2016, ESPN2’s average audience during that same stretch was only three times the size of FS1.
“I’m thrilled with the launch of the show on FS1 and what we’ve accomplished in the first month,” says Bayless. “I’ve been overwhelmed with the fans’ support and loyalty. This is just the beginning.”
According to FS1 the success of UNDISPUTED has lifted the ratings of Colin Cowherd’s “THE HERD” by 60%+ which is what you want from a flagship show.
What I find most interesting though is how UNDISPUTED has increased the recently low black viewership on FS1.
SKIP AND SHANNON: UNDISPUTED has produced a +358% increase over the same time slot on FS1 in 2015.
UNDISPUTED has attracted a younger audience, showing a +733% gain in the A18-49 demo during the 9:30 AM ET – 12:00 PM ET window on FS1.
With the launch of SKIP AND SHANNON: UNDISPUTED, we’ve seen a significant change in the racial mix of viewers for that timeframe on FS1. Before the show launched, the audience was 63% white and 19% black in that timeframe a year ago. Since the launch, the audience is now 48% white and 44% black.
Shannon Sharpe has been excellent especially in dealing with issues of race on the show and that has been one major reason for the uptick in black viewership. You also have to take into account love or hate him, Skip brought a part of that minority First Take audience from ESPN to FS1.
While it has just been one month and they still have a long with to go to be on equal level with ESPN, you can see why the numbers would be encouraging to them.
The fact that there wasn’t anything of real substance in those time slots before the influx of talent that has been brought in from ESPN means that the increase in overall viewership has to be taken with a grain of salt. What needs to happen for FS1 is for them to retain and increase viewership after the newness wears off.
We will definitely be keeping an eye out on it.