BACK TO REALITY
First Take in broadcast change with Molly Qerim’s show back in rightful place after turbulent week where she stormed off
Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe haven't appeared on the show in two weeks
ESPN's flagship morning show is back in its usual slot after two weeks of schedule carnage.
First Take returns to ESPN on Monday following a fortnight of schedule changes and lineup shake-ups.
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Host Molly Qerim was back in the anchor chair on the sports debate show last Thursday.
The 40-year-old enjoyed a fortnight off for summer vacation as a series of guest hosts took her place.
Molly has fronted First Take since 2015 and is never afraid to express her own sports opinion during debates.
On her first day back on the job, she jokingly stormed off set after a heated argument over Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys.
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Fans were left disappointed though as she was absent for July 15's show from New York, with Shae Cornette taking her place.
Lead analysts Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe have been absent since July 2.
ESPN favorites Courtney Cronin, Udonis Haslem, and Harry Douglas have all starred in their place over the past fortnight.
First Take was bumped from the schedule as ESPN broadcast live coverage of the Wimbledon tennis championships.
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Alongside its sister show Get Up, the program was moved over to ESPN 2 for the duration of the tournament.
Smith is currently negotiating a new contract with ESPN and could become the network's highest earner.
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The 56-year-old is reportedly eyeing up a deal worth $25 million per year.
But he and the network are some way apart, with ESPN offering $18 million, per Puck News.
Stephen A. joined The OGs Podcast with Haslem and Mike Miller last week to discuss his future.
"I’ve been No. 1 for 12 years in the morning on First Take," he said.
"In terms of ratings and revenue, I’ve been a number one talent for a decade.
First Take viewing figures
First Take went from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim last year.
The weekday ESPN debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 - making it the most-watched year in program history.
Its December average of 611,000 was a 24% year-on-year increase compared to 2022.
The show also reported more than 250 million views on YouTube.
First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports' Undisputed.
"This ain’t about ESPN, this is about the cats coming at me…I’m talking about the cynics and the critics.
"As hard as I work, as much as I work, along with the results I provide, if I don’t get paid, who’s getting paid?"
Stephen A. added he has "a strong relationship" with Disney and ESPN despite the current negotiations.
His colleague Sharpe, an NFL Hall of Famer, recently penned his own four-year extension with the network.
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The former FS1 star has been credited with "skyrocketing" First Take's ratings since joining the show last September.
First Take airs every weekday at 10 am ET on ESPN.
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