''First Things First'' is an American

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

and

entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...

talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...

starring Nick Wright,

Chris Broussard Christopher Dana Broussard (born October 28, 1968) is an American sports analyst and commentator for Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports Radio. Best known for his coverage of the NBA, he is now a co-host on FS1's afternoon show '' First Things First'', as ...

, and Kevin Wildes. Originally titled ''First Things First with Cris Carter and Nick Wright'', the series premiered on

Fox Sports 1 Fox Sports 1 (FS1) is an American pay television channel owned by the Fox Sports Media Group, a unit of Fox Corporation. FS1 replaced the motorsports network Speed on August 17, 2013, at the same time that its companion channel Fox Sports 2 ...

on September 5, 2017. The show was also released as a podcast and radio simulcast.

Development

FS1 hired former

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

wide receiver

Cris Carter Graduel Christopher Darin Carter (born November 25, 1965) is an American former American football, football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles (1987–1989), the Minnesota Vikings (1990� ...

and local sports radio host Nick Wright to co-host ''First Things First''. Shortly after, former ''Today'' correspondent Jenna Wolfe was brought on to join Carter and Wright on the show.

History

The show premiered on September 5, 2017, and featured Carter and Wright debating sports topics, with Wolfe serving as co-host and moderator. Carter last appeared on the show on October 30, 2019. While some sports media outlets reported that Carter and network executives disagreed over him being left off Fox Sport's ''

Thursday Night Football ''Thursday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''TNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time (8:20 prior to 20 ...

'' pregame broadcast, neither Carter nor

Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the Fo ...

gave a reasoning for his departure. A spokesperson for the network only commented that Carter "is no longer with Fox Sports," without further elaboration. Former NFL defensive lineman Chris Canty briefly filled-in for Carter. 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. In February 2020, television producer and development executive Kevin Wildes was announced to join Wright and Wolfe on the show. In August 2020, former NFL wide receiver

Brandon Marshall Brandon Tyrone Marshall (born March 23, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights, and was drafted by ...

was announced as the fourth on-air personality as ''First Things First'' fully shifted to a panel format. Marshall's tenure on the show lasted until August 2021. Later that month, sports media journalist and reporter

, who made frequent appearances as an NBA analyst on the show, was named as an official host on the show. Wolfe made her final appearance on the show in August 2022. After Wolfe's departure, the show went on a brief hiatus before it premiered in a new afternoon time slot on September 6, 2022.

Viewership

In May 2019, the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

reported that viewership for ''First Things First'' "increased 30 percent in a year while averaging 61,000 viewers."

References

{{FS1 original series 2010s American television news shows 2017 American television series debuts 2020s American television news shows American podcasts American sports radio programs American sports television series Fox Sports 1 original programming Simulcasts