Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe star in the uber-popular sports talk show Skip and Shannon: Undisputed on Fox Sports 1. Sharpe, a former NFL star, is more reserved compared to his controversial co-host Bayless. The pair’s contrasting styles complement each other, creating a show watched by hundreds of thousands of sports fans. 

When Skip and Shannon: Undisputed failed to air in mid-February, fans turned to social media to air their displeasure, and for others, confusion. Networks rarely cancel a show – especially one as popular as Undisputed – without a prior announcement. 

There’s no need to worry, however. Skip and Shannon will return to our screens soon. 

Skip and Shannon: Undisputed will return in early March 2022

Skip Bayless responded to people’s inquiries by tweeting that he and Shannon were on vacation. He wrote:

“Shannon and I are on vacation. THANK YOU for our record-breaking ratings over the last 3 months. I live for “Undisputed.” Trust me, I’m already missing it.”

The post eased fan fears, but it didn’t satisfy fans wanting a precise return date. In late February 2022, Bayless tweeted that Skip and Shannon would return on 7th March 2022. He wrote:

“Shannon and I return next Monday. It is KILLING ME not doing Undisputed. But I will unleash on everything that’s happening on this week’s ‘Skip Bayless Show.’ Please check it out if you haven’t.”

Undisputed faced an uncertain future following the expiry of Sharpe’s contract in July 2021

In the days leading up to the expiry of Sharpe’s contract with Fox in July 2021, Undisputed’s future seemed uncertain. 

The rumor mill suggested that Sharpe would request compensation similar to Skip’s. Sources told Front Office Sports that Skip earned about half of Skip’s salary. 

That was before Skip signed a new four-year contract worth $32 million, translating to $8 million per year. The deal improved Skip’s salary to over two times Shannon’s salary. 

With the racial inequality debate raging in the US, many thought Sharpe would demand a salary closer to his co-host’s. Sharpe had cause to demand a significant raise, given his social media pull and popularity with viewers. 

“Shannon’s become a star in his own right. And do you really want to be paying a Black man half what his white co-star’s making? That’s a tough look these days,” a source told Front Office Sports.

However, nobody knew how Fox would react to such a request. “Maybe the move for Fox is to say, ‘OK Shannon, if you think there’s somebody who’ll pay you $6 million, then go for it,’” another source said. 

The likelihood of a contract disagreement raised uncertainty about Skip and Shannon’s future. However, Shannon quietly agreed on an extension, expelling doubts about his future at Fox.