Former NFL receiver Keyshawn Johnson is officially set to become Skip Bayless’ new full-time sparring partner on FS1‘s “Undisputed.”
Johnson, part of ESPN‘s layoffs in June, reached agreement on a settlement of his $18 million contract, per Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. He will make his on-air debut this Monday — “Undisputed’s” first show following a two-month hiatus after the departure of Shannon Sharpe.
Johnson joins a retooled cast opposite of Bayless, including Pro Football Hall of Fame wideout Michael Irvin, former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman and Rachel Nichols, an ESPN regular across two stints from 2004-21.
“RICHARD SHERMAN! KEYSHAWN JOHNSON! MICHAEL IRVIN! NEW DREAM TEAM ON THE NEW UNDISPUTED,” Bayless tweeted earlier this week. “NEW LIL WAYNE INTRO SONG, “GOOD MORNING.” NEXT MONDAY. AUGUST 28. 9:30 E, FS1. BE THERE.”
Johnson joined ESPN in 2007 following his retirement from the NFL. He began working as an analyst on “Sunday NFL Countdown” and “Monday Night Countdown,” — mostly appearing on “Get Up” and “First Take” in recent years. He had inked a new five-year, $18 million deal with ESPN last year, expected to remain one of the faces of network’s NFL coverage. ESPN evidently changed their mind and Johnson will instead take on a new challenge at FS1.
FS1 moving away from debate style programming after addition of Keyshawn Johnson?
Charlie Dixon, executive VP of content for FS1, recently revealed that “Undisputed” will potentially have a different format as opposed to the layout with Bayless and Sharpe at the helm.
“It’s not like the debate part of sports television is going away because debate is intrinsic in sports conversations,” Dixon said, via Sports Business Journal. “I just feel like with the audience, and where America is as a consumer right now, there’s enough strife going on in everybody’s day-to-day that doesn’t have to just be debate.”
The addition of more panelists also encourages more discussion as opposed to one-on-one debate.
“We focus more on the chemistry and the availability of agreeing with people versus trying to find inflection points where people have a variance of opinions,” Dixon said. “It gives us more opportunity to have bigger conversations and go deeper into conversations, versus coming in with an in-the-moment take that is either going to be right or wrong.”
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