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First Things First (talk show)

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First Things First (FTF) is an American sports and entertainment talk show starring Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes. Originally titled First Things First with Cris Carter and Nick Wright, the series premiered on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) on September 5, 2017.[2] The show is also released as a podcast and radio simulcast.[3][4]

First Things First
GenreTalk show
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Production locationsNEP Studios, Manhattan, New York City
Running time120 minutes[1]
Original release
NetworkFox Sports 1
ReleaseSeptember 5, 2017 (2017-09-05) –
present

Development

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Fox Sports 1 (FS1) launched in 2013. The fledgling channel began airing The Herd with Colin Cowherd and Skip and Shannon: Undisputed in 2015 and 2016, respectively. However, its early morning (6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.) time slot, described as a "black hole" by Sporting News, was used to air game replays and reruns of other shows.[5] Meanwhile, Nick Wright, then a local sports radio host based in Houston, began working at Fox Sports. Wright would frequently guest host on The Herd, filling in for Colin Cowherd.[5]

Lacking a morning show, FS1 began planning to launch one.[5] When Cowherd went on vacation in December 2016, then Fox Sports executive Jamie Horowitz had Wright and former NFL wide receiver Cris Carter co-host The Herd, using this as a test of on-air chemistry between the two.[5] At the time, Carter was a new FS1 hire, having previously worked at ESPN.[5] Both he and Wright asked to work together.[5]

FS1 indeed hired Carter and Wright to co-host the channel's morning talk show, which was titled First Things First with Cris Carter and Nick Wright.[2] Shortly after, former Today correspondent Jenna Wolfe was brought on to join Carter and Wright on the show.[6]

History

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The show premiered on September 5, 2017,[2] and featured Carter and Wright debating sports topics, with Wolfe serving as co-host and moderator. Serving as a lead-in for Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, the show was originally placed into FS1's 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. (ET) time slot.[7]

Carter last appeared on the show on October 30, 2019.[8] While some sports media outlets reported that Carter and network executives disagreed over him being left off Fox Sport's Thursday Night Football pregame broadcast,[8] neither Carter nor Fox Sports gave a reasoning for his departure.[9] A spokesperson for the network only commented that Carter "is no longer with Fox Sports," without further elaboration.[8][10] Former NFL defensive lineman Chris Canty briefly filled-in for Carter.[10]

Following Carter's departure from the show, Fox Sports looked to pivot First Things First into a "second iteration" that would feature "a loose, free-flowing, conversational format and add a still-to-be-determined fourth talent to the set," in addition to Carter's permanent replacement.[9] In February 2020, television producer and development executive Kevin Wildes was announced to join Wright and Wolfe on the show.[11] In August 2020, former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall was announced as the fourth on-air personality as First Things First fully shifted to a panel format.[12]

Marshall's tenure on the show lasted until August 2021.[13] Later that month, sports media journalist and reporter Chris Broussard was named as an official host. He previously made frequent appearances as an NBA analyst on the show.[14] Wolfe made her final appearance on the show in August 2022.[15] After Wolfe's departure, the show went on a brief hiatus before it premiered in a new afternoon time slot on September 6, 2022.[16] In its new slot, the show ran for 90 minutes.[17] Former NFL wide receiver Greg Jennings and head coach Eric Mangini have also appeared on the show as guest panelists.[18][19] In October 2023, Broussard used the r-slur while discussing James Harden's trade from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Clippers. He apologized for using the term shortly thereafter, though received criticism online from viewers.[20] In 2024, the show was expanded to a two-hour slot from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m (ET).[1]

Viewership

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In May 2019, the Associated Press reported that viewership for First Things First "increased 30 percent in a year while averaging 61,000 viewers."[21] In November 2023, the show reported that October was its 14th consecutive month double-digit year-over-year growth in viewership.[22] The show's YouTube channel has accumulated over 660 million views, as of July 30, 2024.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "FOX Sports Rolls Out FS1's New-Look Daily Studio Show Lineup" (Press release). Fox Sports. Fox Sports PressPass. August 22, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Crupi, Anthony (May 12, 2017). "FS1 to Kick Off Its First Morning Show, 'First Things First,' in September". Ad Age. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  3. ^ "First Things First Podcast". Fox Sports. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  4. ^ "First Things First". iHeartRadio. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f McCarthy, Michael (December 22, 2016). "Cris Carter, Nick Wright can stake claim to FS1 morning show with successful tryout". Sporting News. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  6. ^ McCarthy, Michael (August 17, 2017). "Jenna Wolfe set to join FS1's 'First Things First' morning show". Sporting News. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  7. ^ McCarthy, Michael (May 15, 2017). "Joe Buck to lead Fox Sports' upfront pitch to advertisers". Sporting News. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Bonesteel, Matt (November 7, 2019). "Cris Carter, Fox Sports part ways after reported disagreement about his role". Washington Post. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Clark, Dave (February 14, 2020). "Cris Carter to be replaced on FS1's 'First Things First' by Kevin Wildes, per report". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Patten, Dominic (November 7, 2019). "Fox Sports Cans Cris Carter; NFL Hall Of Famer Has Been Off Air Since Oct. 30". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  11. ^ Maglio, Tony (February 27, 2020). "Longtime TV Producer Kevin Wildes Replaces Cris Carter on FS1's 'First Things First'". TheWrap. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  12. ^ Maglio, Tony (August 20, 2020). "Former NFL Star Brandon Marshall Joins 'First Things First' as FS1 Show Shifts to Panel Format". TheWrap. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  13. ^ Burack, Bobby (August 6, 2021). "Exclusive: Brandon Marshall Exits FS1's Morning Show to Pursue Other Opportunities". OutKick. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  14. ^ @FOXSportsPR (August 30, 2021). "We're making it official -- longtime journalist and frequent guest @Chris_Broussard joins the @FTFonFS1 family alongside @getnickwright, @KevinWildes and @JennaWolfe" (Tweet). Retrieved August 16, 2022 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ @JennaWolfe (August 12, 2022). "My last day on the show… leave'em laughing when you go. See you very soon. @getnickwright @kevinwildes @FTFonFS1" (Tweet). Retrieved August 16, 2022 – via Twitter.
  16. ^ McKeone, Liam (September 6, 2022). "'First Things First' Boasts New Studio Amidst Soft Relaunch". The Big Lead. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  17. ^ Kapp, Austin (April 6, 2023). "FS1 sees March highs for 'Undisputed,' 'Herd,' 'FTF'". Sports Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  18. ^ "Why Jennings predicts 'older' 49ers will miss playoffs this season". NBC Sports Bay Area. August 31, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  19. ^ Lambert, Ivan (August 6, 2024). "'First Things First' hosts disagree on Commanders' Jayden Daniels". Commanders Wire. USA Today. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  20. ^ Arend, Alek (October 31, 2023). "Chris Broussard Under Fire for Using Offensive Language on 'First Things First'". Athlon Sports. Parade Media. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  21. ^ Reedy, Joe (May 1, 2019). "Fox Sports 1 showing patience, growth with studio lineup". Associated Press. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  22. ^ "First Things First Sees Large Viewership Gains for FS1". Barrett Sports Media. November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  23. ^ "First Things First - YouTube about". First Things First. Retrieved November 28, 2023 – via YouTube.
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