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 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Talk show |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Production locations | NEP Studios, Manhattan, New York City |
| Running time | 120 minutes[1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | Fox Sports 1 |
| Release | September 5, 2017 – present |
Development
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
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
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
References
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