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ESPN forced into major last-minute broadcast change to First Take after ‘severe storms’ cause NCAA postponement
The College World Series is taking center stage on ESPN over the next few days
ESPN viewers have been left disappointed after a late change to the normal weekday schedule.
First Take was cut from its usual two-hour slot to just 60 minutes on Wednesday.
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Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim's show runs every weekday from 10 am ET on the sports network.
First Take has enjoyed sky-high ratings over the past few months.
But on Wednesday the broadcast was cut short as ESPN provided live coverage of the Men's College World Series.
"It's a beautiful day in New York City," Molly told First Take viewers midway through the show.
READ MORE ON FIRST TAKE
"We're only on an hour today folks so stay with us," she added.
The switch was due to a scheduling change announced late on Tuesday by the NCAA.
Florida Gators' elimination game with the Kentucky Wildcats was originally set to be played on Tuesday afternoon.
The game was postponed due to inclement weather and "severe storms" in Omaha, Nebraska, per SBNation.
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It was therefore moved to an 11 am ET slot on Wednesday.
"11 am is crazy I know it was delayed but d*mn the whole world is at work," complained one Gators fan on X.
'This isn't about you,' Molly Qerim tells Stephen A Smith on First Take as fans vow to 'take a break from watching'
"We are winning back-to-back games today. Bookmark this!" said another.
"Wait why does it still say @FirstTake goes until 12??? Did it get cut all of a sudden???" asked another confused ESPN viewer.
Florida is the only unseeded team left in the competition and their season comes down to the all-SEC matchup.
The Wildcats put Dominic Niman on the mound while Pierce Coppola starts for Florida.
Despite the game being moved, the rest of Wednesday’s schedule at Charles Schwab Field Omaha will go ahead as planned.
First Take viewing figures
First Take went from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim last year.
The weekday ESPN debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 - making it the most-watched year in program history.
Its December average of 611,000 was a 24% year-on-year increase compared to 2022.
The show also reported more than 250 million views on YouTube.
First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports' Undisputed.
Top seed Tennessee will play No. 8 seed Florida State at 3pm ET, with the Volunteers knowing a win will see them advance to the championship series on Saturday.
Texas A&M awaits the winner of the Kentucky-Florida game, with the contest beginning at 7 pm ET.
ESPN will broadcast Game 1 of the championship series this upcoming weekend, with ABC taking Game 2 on Sunday.
Should Game 3 be needed on Monday, the first pitch will be at 7 pm ET on ESPN.
Despite a shorter-than-usual run time, First Take covered a lot of ground in its 60-minute broadcast.
Read More on The US Sun
Smith, Qerim, and Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo looked back at the life of Willie Mays, dedicating the first half of the program to the MLB legend.
The baseball icon died on Tuesday at the age of 93.
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