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ESPN viewers were keen to watch Shannon Sharpe on First Take following his viral livestream blunder.
The NFL Hall of Famer admitted he was “embarrassed” after accidentally streaming a “sex tape” to his 3.2 million Instagram followers on Wednesday afternoon.
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Sharpe initially claimed his account had been hacked after the footage, featuring moans and sexual comments, went out on his Instagram Live.
The 56-year-old later appeared on an emergency version of his podcast Nightcap to confirm it was him in the video.
Fans tuned into First Take on Thursday hoping to see Sharpe alongside fellow lead analyst Stephen A. Smith.
“@FirstTake We want Unc!!! @ShannonSharpe,” wrote one ESPN viewer on X, as it became apparent Sharpe was not on the broadcast.
“It’s going to be a while before we see Shannon Sharpe on First Take again, huh?” said another.
“No Shannon Sharpe on first take?? #firsttake” commented a third.
“Interesting that Shannon Sharpe isn’t on First Take this morning. I wonder why,” added a fourth.
Despite fan’s confusion, Sharpe’s absence was not unexpected and in line with his usual First Take schedule.
The former Denver Broncos star appears on the show every Monday and Tuesday, except for major events such as the Super Bowl.
Jason McCourty and ex-NFL quarterback Dan Olrlovsky joined Stephen A. as analysts on the panel alongside host Molly Qerim.
Sharpe claimed his “heart sank” after he realized the full impact of Wednesday’s blunder.
“All of a sudden people are calling me, ‘Shannon you’re on IG Live. They can hear you were having sex’,” he said, recalling the moment he realized his phone was streaming to millions.
“My phone wasn’t hacked, it wasn’t a prank, it was me being a healthy, active male,” Sharpe continued.
“Obviously I am embarrassed…I’m someone who is extremely, extremely private.
Shannon Sharpe’s playing career
Shannon Sharpe was a three-time Super Bowl champion before his heavyweight media career.
The former tight end played in the NFL from 1990 until 2003 – mostly with the Denver Broncos.
He was part of the Super Bowl championship teams in 1998 and 1999 as well as the Baltimore Ravens’ title-winning team in 2001.
Sharpe was an eight-time Pro Bowler and voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He finished with 10,060 career receiving yards from 815 receptions with 62 touchdowns.
The ex-NFL star has had just as strong a career on television screens since retiring.
“And to have one of your most intimate details – the audio – heard for the entire world to hear, I’m embarrassed for a number of reasons.”
“I did not know [how to use] IG live,” he told Nightcap co-star Chad ‘Ocho’ Johnson.
“I’ve never turned IG live on. So I don’t know how it works.”
Sharpe, a three-time Super Bowl champion, spent the majority of his career with the Denver Broncos.
He retired in 2003 and spent the majority of his broadcast career with Fox Sports.
Sharpe joined ESPN last September, striking up “elite chemistry” with co-star Stephen A.
He signed a contract extension over the summer after being credited with “skyrocketing” First Take’s ratings.
