When former ESPN president John Skipper announced his abrupt resignation last December, radio host Dan Le Batard delivered an emotional monologue and expressed trepidation about his future at the WorldWide Leader without his old boss.
So it shouldn't come as a big surprise that Le Batard is reportedly looking to work elsewhere.
The polarizing personality is in talks with SiriusXM about moving his radio show to their platform, according to The Big Lead's Ryan Glasspiegel. It's unclear whether Le Batard, who's contract expires early this summer, would continue hosting his daily TV show, "Highly Questionable," on ESPN.
Le Batard is one of the ESPN personalities who most frequently deviates from sports. His three-hour radio show also features lots of interplay between producers and show employees, a stark difference from more straightforward ESPN Radio programs.
There is some precedent to ESPN talent hosting radio shows on a non-ESPN platform. Stephen A. Smith hosted his daily talk show on SiriusXM for two years, while carrying on his duties with "First Take."
Interestingly enough, Le Batard has spoken in the past about the dangers of leaving ESPN.
"The ego of these guys is such that they don't believe they're choosing money over winning," Le Batard said on his radio show in 2016 about ESPN talent leaving the network for Fox Sports and other outlets. ""They believe they are going to make the difference. It's happening right now in the sports opinion business. I told Colin Cowherd not to leave this spot. We were having conversations — now I'm revealing private conversations that I shouldn't be — even though it would have benefited us, I was telling Colin Cowherd I don't think you leave. You leave, you're going to get lost, you're going to do it for money and no one's going to know where to find you. We don't do this to have your voices stuffed in a drawer; we do this to be heard."
Time will tell if Le Batard follows his advice.
