Molly Qerim will be back on a small screen near you for the first time since her sudden “First Take” exit in September.
Qerim will serve as host for Zuffa Boxing — a joint venture between TKO and Sela, which is owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund — which will have its first event on Friday, airing on Paramount+, according to a Front Office Sports report on Thursday.
The ex-ESPNer also will be reunited with former “First Take” colleague Max Kellerman, with whom she worked for a number of years at her previous gig.
Molly Qerim attends GQ Sports And ESPN Celebrate NBA Finals at Artspace at Public Hotel on June 6, 2024 in New York City. Getty Images for GQ
Qerim will host Zuffa Boxing’s desk program alongside former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, Mike Coppinger and boxing reporter Mark Kriegel.
Kellerman is part of the broadcast team, which also consists of Joe Tessitore, former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Andre Ward and ringside reporter Heidi Androl.
The new role is the first for Qerim since her departure from ESPN in the fall, when she revealed she would be leaving “First Take” after Sports Business Journal broke the news of her impending 2025 exit.
“After much reflection, I’ve decided it’s time to close this incredible chapter and step away from First Take,” Qerim wrote in a statement on social media in September. “Hosting this show has been one of the greatest honors of my career. Every morning, I had the privilege of sharing the desk with some of the most brilliant, passionate, and entertaining voices in sports — and with all of you, the best fans in the world.
“I’m so grateful for what this journey has given me: lifelong friendships, unforgettable memories, and the chance to be part of something truly special. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for welcoming me into your homes.”
ESPN’s president of content, Burke Magnus, later explained in an interview with The Athletic that before it had been determined by both sides — before Qerim’s announcement — that she would be taken off “First Take” after her contract expired at the end of 2025.
Magnus also said there were conversations about a contract renewal to keep her at ESPN, but he felt that she wanted to “explore other things” and that “we just weren’t totally aligned.”
Qerim has been somewhat out of the public eye following her departure, but she did take to Instagram in December to post a photo of herself on a trip in Abu Dhabi.
