ESPN’s content president, Burke Magnus, recently addressed Molly Qerim’s unexpected departure from “First Take,” where she had been a prominent figure since 2015.
In an interview with Athletic that was published on Thursday, Magnus clarified that long before Qerim publicly announced her exit, discussions had taken place with both parties agreeing she would not be continuing with “First Take” after her contract expires at the end of 2025.
Magnus explained that they had a recent conversation with Qerim, highlighting a desire for her to explore new opportunities. “We weren’t fully organized,” he said, adding that Qerim is a remarkable person and teammate. He noted, “This had some dimensions. One was obviously having an updated conversation. Two, it’s been 10 years since we did something like that. I’m not going to speak for her, but I think she wanted to do something else.”
He emphasized that she was likely going to leave “First Take” regardless, suggesting the focus was more on how to broaden her role within ESPN. Magnus reassured that there is no drama surrounding her exit, reinforcing that it was a professional decision. “It’s business. You did your best and we weren’t fully aligned. I respect her interests in pursuing other ventures outside of ESPN,” he said.
Despite her departure, Magnus indicated that they wished for Qerim to remain with the company. Qerim did not comment when approached by Athletic through her agent on Tuesday evening.
Looking ahead, Magnus mentioned that it would take about 30 to 45 days to trial different candidates for the hosting position on “First Take,” though he did not clarify if they would be considering candidates from within the company.
On Monday, Qerim had announced her exit from ESPN via her Instagram Stories, noting that the news spread quicker than she expected.
Her announcement came shortly after a report from Sports Business Journal indicated she had turned down a new contract from ESPN, planning to leave by the end of the year.
Magnus is set to discuss Qerim’s exit further on an upcoming episode of the “Sports Media Podcast.”
