Former ESPN host Sam Ponder says her public stance on the participation of transgender women in female sports was a factor in her exit from the network after more than 13 years.
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Ponder, who was let go by ESPN in August 2023, opened up about her departure during an appearance on the latest episode of The Sage Steele Show. She said the separation wasn't solely about money or her reduced on-air role, but also stemmed from her outspoken views on biological men competing against women in sports.
According to Ponder, ESPN executives began expressing discomfort with her social media activity in 2023, particularly after she posted about a controversial Olympic boxing match involving a transgender athlete. In a tweet, she wrote, "ENOUGH is what we should all be saying," referring to a female boxer who was critical of being forced to compete against a transgender opponent.
"I knew when I sent that that this isn't gonna go over well," Ponder said. "But, to me, that's abuse. You have a male in a boxing ring with a female literally beating her, and we're just supposed to, like, 'Yay, in the name of inclusion.' What about her?"
Ponder added that while she doesn't believe the controversy was the only reason for her dismissal, the timing of her firing seemed connected. "I was told after the fact, privately, that most people at the top of the company did agree with me on this issue," she said. "But there is a loud activist group at Disney, and they were not happy with me."
She also pointed to internal conversations about her limited role on NFL Countdown and her unwillingness to take on more work that would interfere with time spent with her children.
“I knew when I sent that … this isn’t going to go over very well. But to me, that’s abuse.”@samponder didn’t stay silent when a female boxer was being physically beaten by a biological male in the ring. She tweeted: “Enough.” Within a week, the call came from her bosses at… pic.twitter.com/JN6QZH1esO
— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) July 16, 2025
Ponder joined ESPN in 2011, rising through the ranks from sideline reporting on college football to eventually becoming the host of Sunday NFL Countdown. She also appeared on College GameDay, Thursday Night College Football, and the Longhorn Network.
Her comments echo similar claims from Steele, who left ESPN after filing a lawsuit against the company over alleged retaliation tied to her views.
Ponder remains active on social media and says she has no regrets about speaking up. "You can't stay silent when women are being hurt," she said.
