FOX Sports poaches one ESPN personality, but may lose another
FS1 successfully poached NFL analyst Mark Schlereth from ESPN, but may end up losing Emmy-winning host Katie Nolan.
Even without Jamie Horowitz, Fox Sports 1 keeps poaching ESPN talent.
The latest new hire is longtime ESPN NFL analyst Mark Schlereth, who is joining FS1 as a studio analyst starting today.
Schlereth, a three-time Super Bowl champion who played guard in the NFL for 12 years with the Redskins and Broncos and considers himself "a hater Eagles fan," made the announcement to ex-Broncos teammate Shannon Sharpe and fellow Undisputed co-hosts Skip Bayless and Joy Taylor on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Sporting News' Michael McCarthy, Schlereth has a close relationship with Horowitz, the network's former president of national networks who was fired earlier this month after an investigation into claims of sexual harassment. Through a lawyer, Horowitz denies the charges and claims he was wrongly terminated. Schlereth's move to FS1 was in the works for months.
Like fellow ESPN alum Ray Lewis, Schlereth is expected to offer analysis on FS1 shows such as Undisputed and Speak for Yourself. He certainly won't be doing any writing, since FOX Sports removed all sports journalism from its website and laid off the bulk of its writing staff
Schlereth is just the latest in a series of former ESPN personalities whom Fox Sports has signed over the past year, a list that includes Bayless, Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock, Andy Petree, Chris Broussard, Charissa Thompson, Cris Carter, Lewis and sideline reporter Erin Andrews.
Schlereth was an NFL analyst for ESPN for 16 years, joining the network back in 2001. He is well known for his regular appearances on SportsCenter and NFL Live, and regularly appeared as a guest on 97.5 The Fanatic, where he seemed to revel in slamming the Eagles (although his predictions about the team's struggles under former head coach Chip Kelly were correct).
Despite the loss, ESPN might end up coming out on top. Katie Nolan, a rising star at FOX Sports who has largely gone silent after the cancellation of her Emmy-winning FS1 show Garbage Time, is rumored to be looking to join ESPN. Horowitz referred to Nolan as a "superstar," and was reportedly scheduled to meet with her the week he was fired.
According to sports media reporter and ESPN expert James Miller, it's no longer a matter of whether ESPN will steal Nolan, but when. Nolan's contract with FOX Sports expires at the end of the year, and she's already reportedly had a meeting with the top brass at ESPN, including the network's president, John Skipper.
Speculation about her potential role at ESPN seemed to be centered on the possibility of joining current Mike & Mike co-host Mike Greenberg on his yet-unnamed new morning show. The timing would certainly work out, with Greenberg's new show scheduled to launch next January, but in the past Nolan has indicated she'd prefer hosting a late-night show.
Nolan didn't respond to a request for comment. But she did offer a hint to a fan that her time on the sideline might soon be coming to an end.