Colin Cowherd Defends 2015 Shift to Sports-Only Commentary as ESPN Lost Fans to Politics
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 19
Colin Cowherd Defends 2015 Shift to Sports-Only Commentary as ESPN Lost Fans to Politics
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 19
Summary
Cowherd said in a new OutKick interview that he has deliberately kept his politics largely private since leaving ESPN for Fox Sports and iHeartRadio in 2015, arguing executives pay him to talk sports.
He said mixing political messaging into sports coverage alienates viewers, summing up the lesson as simple audience demand: fans want football and sports, not partisan commentary.
Cowherd described himself as a "radical centrist" who criticizes both parties, citing Republican strengths on borders, the economy and crime while saying he leans left on some social issues.
On ESPN, he said the network became "rudderless" for a period but shifted back toward sports after John Skipper left, with chairman Jimmy Pitaro helping refocus programming and personalities.