The Friday, Jan. 4, edition of ESPN’s popular morning debate show First Take – featuring Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman and host Molly Qerim Rose – was up 15% in viewership over the comparable episode in 2018 with an average of 510,000 viewers, according to Nielsen. It was also up 6% over First Take’s average viewership in December.
On Friday, Jan. 4, ESPN’s popular morning debate show First Take will return to Dallas for the third time in three months ahead of the Dallas Cowboys hosting Saturday night’s NFC Wild Card Game against the Seattle Seahawks. Noted Cowboys critic, Stephen A. Smith – alongside Max Kellerman and host Molly Qerim Rose – will once again face the home fans at Texas Live! in Arlington.
On the Thursday, Nov. 29, edition of ESPN’s popular morning debate show First Take, Stephen A. Smith will return to Dallas. He will be based at Texas Live! in Arlington to discuss, debate and preview that night’s prime-time NFL battle between two division-leading teams, the Dallas Cowboys hosting the New Orleans Saints.
First Take, ESPN’s popular morning debate show featuring Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman and host Molly Qerim Rose, will hit the road the week of November 5. First Take airs weekdays on ESPN from 10 a.m. – noon ET.
ESPN dedicates a week of multiplatform content November 6-12 as part of the 10th annual America’s Heroes: A Salute to Our Veterans initiative. Highlights include SportsCenter from the U.S.S. Carl Vinson Navy Aircraft Carrier and First Take live from Luke Air Force Base in Arizona on Friday, Nov. 9.
ESPN senior writer Mina Kimes has agreed to a multiyear extension with ESPN, and will debut an NFL-themed podcast – Bootleg with Mina Kimes – is now available everywhere ESPN Audio podcasts are accessible. Kimes, who joined ESPN in May 2014, will continue to write for ESPN The Magazine, as well as maintain a presence across a variety of programming including: as a regular panelist on Around the Horn; as a co-host on The Morning Roast on ESPN Radio with Domonique Foxworth and Clinton Yates; guesting on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and Highly Questionable; as a debater on First Take; as a contributor to E:60; appearances on Get Up!; and more.
On Monday, Sept. 3, First Take – with featured commentators Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman, and hosted by Molly Qerim – will permanently move to ESPN’s New York Seaport District Studios. The debut will showcase an updated look, while bringing all of the analysis and debate that viewers know and love. Production for the program will continue out of ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters. Additional details about the September 3 debut will be released later.
ESPN’s First Take will have a week of “Two-a-Days” beginning Monday, July 2, with a morning edition from 10 a.m. – Noon ET on ESPN2, followed by NBA Free Agency specials live from 4:30-6 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Many of ESPN’s weekday daytime studio shows saw audience growth in the last month over March 2017 (P2+). In addition, a number of shows saw an increase among viewers 18-34, including four separate editions of SportsCenter.
ESPN’s First Take earned its most-viewed February ever, across multiple demos including viewers P2+, M18-49, M25-29, P18-34 and P18-49. The month also notched a 16% overall audience gain over the previous year, averaging 499,000 viewers (P2+, Nielsen’s February 2018: January 29 – February 25, Nielsen’s February 2017: January 30 – February 26).
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