ESPN radio host Paul Finebaum has reportedly been pulled from the network, following comments about potentially running for the U.S. Senate as a Republican.
OutKick’s Clay Travis reported that, “Disney/ESPN has removed @finebaum from appearing on @ESPN since his @outkick interview expressing interest in running as a Republican for senate in Alabama.”
Travis wrote on the social media platform X that ESPN canceled all of Finebaum’s appearances across its programming lineup, including shows he has been featured on for over a decade.
Per sources: Disney/ESPN has removed @finebaum from appearing on @ESPN since his @outkick interview expressing interest in running as a Republican for senate in Alabama. ESPN has canceled all network appearances on all shows, including some that have occurred for a decade plus.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 6, 2025
Finebaum, 70, has not officially announced his candidacy for Alabama’s open Senate seat in 2026. He told OutKick last week, however, that he had been approached about a potential run.
The seat is currently occupied by former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor in Alabama.
Finebaum told the outlet he wasn’t initially serious about running, but became more intrigued after he was approached by a political figure.
“I was very cautious, I didn’t take it too seriously,” Finebaum said “And then, ultimately, I ended up talking to someone who made it clear that there was a desire for me to be involved. And this person, obviously, that shall remain nameless, was compelling and compassionate in the approach to me, and I started thinking about it.”
Finebaum also said he voted for President Donald Trump and had met him personally. In addition, he claimed his bosses killed an interview he’d setup with the commander in chief circa 2019, to discuss Trump’s attendance at the Alabama vs. LSU football game.
“I called my boss and they killed [the story],” he explained. “I was devastated. They told me that we are not allowed to mix politics with sports.”
When Travis asked if Finebaum would’ve been treated differently if he’d gotten an interview with former President Barack Obama, he replied, “Well I think the answer’s pretty evident.”
Earmuffs @espn, but did @finebaum vote for Donald Trump? @ClayTravis pic.twitter.com/u3vK0IN1yW
— OutKick (@Outkick) September 29, 2025
Travis compared ESPN’s alleged decision with Finebaum, to its handling of other politically charged personalities who appear on the Disney-owned network.
“ESPN’s @stephenasmith has discussed running for president as a Democrat and the network has taken no action in this matter,” Travis noted on X.
Finebaum is not an announced candidate for Alabama senate yet. ESPN’s @stephenasmith has discussed running for president as a Democrat and the network has taken no action in this matter. @outkick has requested comment from @espn @Disney and a story will be forthcoming on site.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 6, 2025
He also pointed to the recent controversy surrounding ABC host Jimmy Kimmel, who returned to air after a six-day suspension last month, for lying about Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin.
“The left wing rallied around Kimmel’s free speech rights in that case,” Travis wrote on social media. “Will they rally for @finebaum as well?”
OutKick reported that it has requested comment from both ESPN and Disney regarding Finebaum’s status.
Finebaum did not appear Sunday on “SportsCenter,” where he typically discusses the weekend’s college football games.
A spokesperson for ESPN, however, told Yahoo Sports that OutKick’s reporting was “TOTALLY FALSE.”
The network pointed out that while Finebaum was absent from “SportsCenter,” he did appear on ESPN host Matt Barrie’s YouTube show, and was promoted on the ESPN College Football YouTube channel.
The network has not issued any further statements about Finebaum’s status with the company.
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