Is Stephen A. Smith on the way out as well?
With Bill Simmons on the verge of premiering his late night HBO series, ESPN loses another one of their key personalities, as Skip Bayless will be leaving the company in August.
The now former co-host of the network’s popular First Take series, will be taking talents to Fox Sports this summer when his contract expires. Stephen A. Smith, who’s his long-time friend on the channel, reportedly has a contract coming up at the end of the year (after annual renewals), so it’s possible he could leave ESPN as well in the coming months. In an interesting note, ESPN is already preparing for an early exit, as Skip’s last day will be the day after the NBA Finals concludes in June.
Take a look at the official press release statement below.
ESPN statement on Skip Bayless – https://t.co/OZ3hV7DNvT
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 26, 2016
UPDATE: Sports Illustrated reporter Richard Deitsch revealed news about Skip’s lucrative deal, which is over a million dollars more than what ESPN was willing to pay him a year.
From a reliable source: Fox Sports is paying Skip Bayless in neighborhood of $5.5 million per for four years, plus a $4M signing bonus.
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) April 28, 2016