First Things First, starring Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes, has become the flagship daily show on FS1, both in the ratings and with critics.
The program earned its first Emmy nomination this year, validating its years of growth. And in many ways, Wright has become the face of the cable sports network, given his reach both on television and on social media.
But with the expanded World Cup coming to Fox networks this summer, First Things First is returning to its roots, so to speak.
The program announced that they are shifting timeslots throughout the summer soccer extravaganza. FTF will move to a 10 a.m. ET timeslot from June 11 through July 15.
The move makes sense for FS1 and Fox Sports as it keeps arguably their most successful show on the air continuously through what could otherwise be an up-and-down summer schedule. And with Fox currently airing replays of Wake Up Barstool in that timeslot, there is an opening in the morning for First Things First to move into.
It’s also ironic because while the show currently airs in the late afternoons, it originally started as FS1’s morning show in 2017 with Nick Wright and Cris Carter. However, it truly came into its own when it moved to the afternoons, and Wright, Broussard, and Wildes formed one of the best trios in sports television with their mix of insight, humor, and camaraderie. FTF recently expanded to three hours and added Danny Parkins as a contributor after FS1 reshuffled its daily lineup.
It will be fascinating to see whether FS1 and First Things First can maintain their strong audience numbers, given they will be going head-to-head with the juggernaut that is First Take on ESPN. It would be difficult to imagine the move being permanent unless FTF hits huge numbers somehow, but it might be worth watching to see if it does strong enough for Fox to consider restoring live programming during that block instead of replays.
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