Shannon Sharpe’s ‘First Take’ Role To Expand In Multi-Year Mega Deal With ESPN

Shannon Sharpe has inked a multi-year contract with ESPN, marking the sports programming behemoth’s latest mega deal. Official terms of the agreement are undisclosed.

News of Sharpe’s new agreement with ESPN was announced Tuesday morning (June 11), with David Roberts, ESPN’s Head of Event & Studio Production​, praising Sharpe’s impact on the network’s flagship morning debate show First Take.

“Shannon Sharpe has been an incredible addition to the First Take team, enhancing the show’s dynamic with his engaging presence and insightful commentary,” Roberts said in a statement coinciding with Sharpe’s resigning​. “Shannon’s chemistry with Stephen A. Smith has elevated our debates and been another key reason First Take is the premier destination for morning sports discussion.”

The three-time Super Bowl champion and NFL Hall of Fame inductee reacted to news of his new deal on Tuesday’s episode of First Take, as well as in an official statement.

“Being a part of this family has been a blessing. Everything about this relationship with ESPN, Stephen A., and First Take, has been tremendous. I look forward to expanding my role and showing more of the world what I have to offer. The show goes on!” 

Under the new deal, Sharpe’s role on First Take, which he appears on alongside host Molly Querim, analyst Stephen A. Smith, and other pundits, will expand even further, a move that’s likely in response to the Georgia native’s resounding approval rating among viewers of the program.

In addition, Sharpe will also contribute to other programming on the network, to be announced at a later date.

Shannon Sharpe officially joined First Take in August 2023 after his exit as cohost of FS1’s Undisputed earlier that year. His Club Shay Shay podcast has become among the most successful platforms in media, with his viral Katt Williams video garnering tens of millions of views, and earning a iHeart Podcast Award.

The former superstar tight end’s presence on First Take has been reflected in the show’s ratings, as it garnered its highest-views in the month of May in the program’s history, and saw its 22nd straight month of year-over-year growth.