Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe face off each morning on their FS1 talk show, Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, but now they have elevated their battle to a new—yet retro—level.
The hosts fight, albeit virtually, in a new FS1 promo that places them in a classic fighting arcade game like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter.
In the spot, which also features Undisputed moderator Jenny Taft as the battle’s referee, Bayless and Sharpe begin their battle on the Undisputed set, before moving to new locations for later rounds. Among the topics the hosts are fighting over: Bill Belichick vs. Tom Brady (the New England Patriots head coach and his former quarterback) and whether Michael Jordan or LeBron James is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time).
“It was certainly an homage to the great fighting arcade games of the ’80s and ’90s. Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Karate Champ all influenced the piece. Skip and Shannon face off every show, so this was a fun and different way to promote Undisputed,” said Bill Battin, svp, on-air marketing, Fox Sports.
Fox Sports partnered with Jérôme Debève at La Huella FX in Madrid to create the promo, which will roll out Thursday on social and digital channels, and air on FS1 over the coming weeks.
While Taft recorded her lines specifically for the promo, Bayless and Sharpe’s dialogue was taken from Undisputed sound bites.
Battin said the promo is packed with Easter eggs for Undisputed fans. At one point, Cowboys fan Bayless zaps Sharpe with a stream of Dallas Cowboys stars, and unleashes his “How ’bout them Cowboys!” catchphrase. The spot also features both hosts’ dogs: Sharpe’s Pomeranian, Tarzan, and Bayless’ Maltese, Hazel.
Later in the promo, a “Club Shay Shay” neon sign flashes behind Sharpe—that originally referred to Sharpe’s faux VIP clubs for GOATs, but is now the name of his weekly podcast. The goat mask that Sharpe wears on-air whenever LeBron James wins a big game also makes an appearance.
