ESPN’s signature morning debate show, First Take, has recorded 13 consecutive months of year-over-year viewership growth, a monumental achievement for the program that recently endured a format change. Featured commentator and executive producer Stephen A. Smith, along with host Molly Qerim, headline the program featuring a rotating panel of guest analysts. Whether it is Dan Orlovsky, Kimberley A. Martin or Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo, viewers are captivated by the show’s debates and star power, which is going to be enhanced next week ahead of football season.
Shannon Sharpe, who worked on FOX Sports 1 on Undisputed with Skip Bayless for the past seven years, will join First Take on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the National Football League season. The network made the move official last Thursday after speculation and reporting from various other outlets and was preceded by Sharpe announcing that his hit podcast, Club Shay Shay, would be joining The Volume.
As for this month’s viewership of the show, the program averaged 391,000 viewers and became its most-watched month of August since 2017. The audience figure is 21% higher than 2022, which averaged 323,000 viewers and marked the highest number since 2019.
The show has yet to divulge if there will be any special on-site broadcasts throughout the football season. Last August, the show was live from Canton, Ohio for the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic weekend. Smith also recently teased that he had a forthcoming announcement sometime this week unrelated to Sharpe joining ESPN on his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show.
