Colin Cowherd to Leave ESPN
After being a fixture on ESPN Radio for more than a decade, host Colin Cowherd has announced that he will be leaving the station, with his final show airing on Friday, July 24th.
Colin Cowherd (@ESPN_Colin) is the latest personality to exit @espn http://t.co/fOcnlmkfTg pic.twitter.com/8GoZZJiKeZ
— Variety (@Variety) July 16, 2015
Taking over the coveted mid-morning slot following the abrupt and controversial departure of Tony Kornheiser in 2004 as well as hosting SportsNation on television from 2009-2012, Cowherd was a hit with listeners with his blunt takes on topics covering sports and popular culture. He also made it a habit to express unpopular topics, with seemingly little regard for listener fallout or reprisal from management.
On NASCAR
On non-BCS teams
On the Baltimore riots
Ripping a caller
On “Deflategate”
In a press statement released by ESPN this morning, president John Skipper had the following to say:
“We’ve enjoyed a mutually beneficial run with Colin for over a decade. He came to national prominence on ESPN with his unique perspective on sports and society. Endings also bring new beginnings, for ESPN and Colin, and we thank him and wish him the best.”
The list of high-profile departures from ESPN this summer now adds Cowherd to its ranks, following the exits of Bill Simmons and Keith Olbermann. The Big Lead’s article on the breakdown of contract talks with Olbermann reported that ESPN President John Skipper was given instructions by Disney to significantly cut the network’s budget over the next 2 years, and there is speculation today that the financial mandate coupled with a general displeasure about the outspoken nature of all three personalities has played no small part in deciding their fates at ESPN.
Also according to The Big Lead, a deal is imminent between Cowherd and FOX Sports, which would be a huge boost to a network that has slowly but surely been increasing its profile as a direct competitor to ESPN.
Having already secured rights to US Open coverage and both men’s and women’s World Cups through 2026 in addition to their continued broadcast rights over UEFA Champions’ League soccer, NASCAR, NFL, and college sports coverage, adding a big name like Colin Cowherd to their roster of analysts would certainly be a feather in the cap for the network.
