A shakeup is coming to the afternoon lineup at ESPN for the first time in a while. The latest rumors for what is coming next show how big the network’s plans for star acquisition Peter Schrager could be.
The impending end of Around the Horn this month leaves an opening at 5 p.m. ET, and Alex Sherman of CNBC reports the Worldwide Leader could look to replace the 2 p.m. ET SportsCenter as part of a broader revamp in the afternoon.
According to Sherman, one fill-in idea would be built around Schrager, the popular NFL reporter who recently joined the network from Fox and NFL Network. A potential Schrager show would be an “all-sports” concept rather than another hour of NFL midday content. Sherman reports that ESPN believes Schrager can anchor a broader sports show.
The news follows a report earlier in the week that Rich Eisen will bring his eponymous show back to ESPN this fall. The Rich Eisen Show is expected to be a digital-exclusive offering on ESPN’s subscription service that will keep its current noon-2 p.m. timeslot. That slot overlaps with The Pat McAfee Show, a fact that was not lost on McAfee, as the outspoken host called it out this week.
If Schrager, who made his name as an NFL insider at Fox Sports and one of the faces of Good Morning Football, gets his own show, it would be the first new personality-driven show on ESPN since the Max Kellerman-hosted This Just In was canceled in the summer of 2023.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.