Around the Horn concluded its storied 23-year run on ESPN last Friday, and viewers were very interested to see the series finale.
According to Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal, Around the Horn averaged 482,000 viewers for its final episode at 5 p.m. ET Friday on ESPN. As one would expect from a series finale, Friday’s episode performed much better than Around the Horn‘s recent run of viewership. In March and April, the show averaged 362,000 viewers per episode.
The show strayed from its traditional format for its last go-around, starting with host Tony Reali recreating a scene out of Goodfellas, before shifting to the first of two panels featuring some of the program’s most legendary characters.
As far back as I can remember I always wanted be a sportscaster… pic.twitter.com/43IkKAFjoM
— Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) May 23, 2025
Panel one saw the “old-timers,” Bob Ryan, J.A. Adande, Bill Plaschke, and Woody Paige bid farewell to the show that made them household figures (everyone got a “Face Time” in the finale).
A #FinalFaceTime for @GlobeBobRyan, @jadande, @BillPlaschke & @woodypaige.
“Michael Jordan once told me that Woody was his favorite panelist. Game recognizes game. GOAT recognized GOAT.” 🐐 pic.twitter.com/LMhl3olnfY
— Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) May 23, 2025
Then, panel two had four more Around the Horn legends join, Tim Cowlishaw, Kevin Blackistone, Frank Isola, and Jackie MacMullan.
A #FinalFaceTime for @TimCowlishaw, @ProfBlackistone, @TheFrankIsola & Jackie MacMullan.
“Thank you all for visiting our home, and I hope you enjoyed your stay.” 🤍 pic.twitter.com/q57kQwjuP5
— Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) May 23, 2025
After the second panel said their goodbyes, Reali, at long last, revealed how the show’s scoring system worked.
The scoring system: explained.
⬆️⬇️🕹️🔇 @TonyReali pic.twitter.com/dXQ14rUee9
— Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) May 23, 2025
Much has been written about why ESPN pulled the plug on Around the Horn, but the network has not offered a formal explanation. Ratings reportedly weren’t an issue for the show, but cost could have played a role.
Notably, Friday’s finale offered a strong lead-in for Pardon the Interruption, which averaged 649,000 viewers in the 5:30 p.m. ET window. For its part, PTI averaged 574,400 viewers throughout the months of March and April.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.