Why is Shannon Sharpe leaving 'Undisputed'? Presenter set to leave after NBA Finals

Shannon Sharpe has reportedly reached a buyout agreement with Fox Sports 1 (FS1), ending his seven-year stint with the company after the 2023 NBA Finals. The Pro Football Hall of Famer will no longer be part of the popular debate show, 'Undisputed', featuring alongside veteran TV presenter Skip Bayless.

According to the New York Post, Sharpe's podcast, 'Club Shay Shay', which had tremendous viewership on YouTube, will also no longer be a part of Fox Sports.

It's a surprising decision coming from Sharpe, considering the success he had with Bayless as co-presenters. Their fiery chemistry was significant to the show's success over the years.

Exploring why Shannon Sharpe decided to leave Fox Sports

As surprising as it seems, Shannon Sharpe leaving 'Undisputed' isn't something that came as a complete surprise. As mentioned above, his chemistry with Skip Bayless was top-notch. However, their relationship faced ups and downs over the last few months.

It started with the two engaging in a heated altercation over Bayless' controversial tweet regarding Buffalo Bills' Safety Damar Hamlin's unfortunate collapse on the field in January earlier this year.

Here's what Bayless wrote:

“No doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game – but how? This late in the season, a game of this magnitude is crucial to the regular-season outcome … which suddenly seems so irrelevant.”

Bayless received a lot of backlash for his tweet. Meanwhile, Shannon Sharpe didn't appear on the show the next morning. A day later, when he returned, Sharpe opened the show by reflecting on Hamlin's unfortunate situation, saying it "struck him differently."

Sharpe also said he disagreed with Skip Bayless' tweet and hoped he would take it down. Midway through his monologue, the latter interrupted Sharpe, which irked the former Super Bowl champion. Bayless was surprised that Sharpe touched on this topic, as they apparently didn't plan on bringing it up for that segment.

Bayless also stayed adamant about not taking down his tweet, and the two later engaged in a back-and-forth over FS1 bosses asking Bayless for an explanation.

It seemed like a power struggle between the two hosts, and many predicted that incident could lead to the end of their partnership. According to The Post, people close to Sharpe claimed he never wanted to be the unquestioned leader but wanted to have an equal say on the show on topic selection.

Just a week prior to the Damar Hamlin-related issue, Skip Bayless took a personal shot at Shannon Sharpe over his NFL career as he tried to defend Tom Brady when the two debated his efficiency at age 45. Bayless called out Sharpe, saying Brady was still playing at a high level, while Sharpe had to retire at 35.

Sharpe threw his specs in frustration as Bayless tried to downplay his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame while claiming Brady was better than Sharpe.

Bayless' harsh takes on Sharpe's close friend LeBron James' may have also contributed to the latter's departure from FS1.