Free Agent Clay Travis Shopping

Clay Travis is set to become a free agent in television, radio, and digital media, according to Front Office Sports. Sources reveal that his multimillion-dollar contracts with Fox, iHeartMedia’s Premiere Networks, and OutKick will all expire by the end of this year. Semafor initially reported that Travis’s deal with Fox ends this year and that he might pursue independent ventures.

The outspoken founder of OutKick has been in discussions with various media companies and potential investors to explore his next steps. Sources suggest Travis may announce his plans around Super LX on February 8.

As a prominent figure in the MAGA movement, Travis maintains direct connections with President Donald Trump and Republican leaders, having interviewed Trump aboard Air Force One this year.

A longtime critic of ESPN, Travis has become a widely recognized media personality through his presence in digital media, television, and terrestrial radio. He has led OutKick since 2011 and regularly appeared on Fox Sports’s Big Noon Kickoff, previously hosting OutKick The Coverage on Fox Sports Radio. He also frequently guest-comments on Fox News alongside Sean Hannity, Jesse Watters, and former ESPN personality Will Cain. On national radio, he cohosts The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show.

The program hosted by Travis and Sexton has grown into one of the nation’s most widely syndicated shows. Earlier this year, Premiere announced that the weekday show had reached its 550th national affiliate, marking a 27% increase since its 2021 launch in Rush Limbaugh’s former time slot from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET.

The 46-year-old Travis recently gained attention for his exclusive interview with ESPN’s Paul Finebaum on OutKick The Show. During the conversation, Finebaum expressed being deeply affected by the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and mentioned the possibility of leaving ESPN to run as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Alabama. Finebaum also revealed that ESPN executives blocked an interview with Trump, stating, “I was devastated.”

After the interview, Finebaum was removed from some of his regular college appearances on ESPN TV studio shows but continued hosting his radio show, simulcast on the SEC Network. He has since returned to ESPN studio appearances, including Mike Greenberg’s Get Up on Monday mornings.

Where Travis will head next remains uncertain. Financially, he is not in a rush, as the final payment from his $100 million sale of OutKick in 2021 is expected this year. With Trump back in office, Travis’s influence is at its peak, making it an opportune moment to leverage his position. He may return to entrepreneurship by starting his own media company, which aligns with his discussions with potential investors and partners. Alternatively, he could continue to build a range of media roles that allow him to maintain independence.

Contemporary media figures like Stephen A. Smith, Dave Portnoy, Pat McAfee, and Dan Le Batard aim to own their companies and control their intellectual property. Their strategy involves creating and managing their own production companies and licensing content to networks for substantial revenue. For example, Smith secured the right to launch his own production company and personally run a YouTube show as part of his $100 million contract extension with ESPN.

Travis recently debated Smith onstage at Front Office Sports’s live Tuned In summit in New York City. When Smith joked about running for president, Travis told moderator Baker Machado that he would also run and “kick his ass.” Smith responded, “No, he wouldn’t. He’d get his ass kicked.”