Katie Nolan’s tenure as a Fox Sports employee is coming to an end.
Multiple sources have told Sports Illustrated that Nolan is negotiating an early release from her Fox Sports contract. Her contract is believed to officially conclude at the end of 2017. The formal release is expected to come soon.
“That is not something we are going to answer tonight,” said Fox Sports president Eric Shanks on Tuesday, when asked whether his network had given Nolan an early release. SI asked Shanks during a Fox Sports presentation for the network’s 2018 World Cup coverage. “But you know I am super fond of Katie and she is an amazing talent,” Shanks continued. “I hope she is at Fox Sports for a long time because I think she is a unique voice.”
When reached by SI, Nolan declined comment.
Nolan joined FS1 when the network launched in 2013 as the digital correspondent and co-host of Crowd Goes Wild, a daily show hosted by Regis Philbin, featuring panelists Jason Gay, Trevor Pryce and Georgie Thompson. The network later gave her a solo project, Garbage Time With Katie Nolan. That show (which was produced by Embassy Row) debuted in March 2015, won a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Social TV Experience in 2016, but struggled to find viewership at multiple time slots. The show’s online highlight was perhaps this commentary on the NFL and Ray Rice, which drew nearly 400,000 views. FS1 executives talked often about finding new spots for Nolan. In the end, it was talk.
Various sports media writers, from Sporting News writer Michael McCarthy to ESPN chronicler James Andrew Miller have speculated that Nolan would head to ESPN in some form. That is the logical destination, especially with new executive vice president of content Connor Schell, and PTI and Around The Horn executive producer Erik Rydholm known to be fond of Nolan’s on-air work. There are also spots open on ESPN’s daytime lineup, including at SportsNation.
