Bigger isn’t necessarily better. That belief could be tested if ESPN drastically changes the format of one of its most popular shows, Pardon the Interruption.
Brace yourself for a supersized PTI. According to Andrew Marchand at The Athletic, ESPN is considering expanding Pardon The Interruption to one hour. Since its inception in 2001, the granddaddy of sports debate TV has usually been 30 minutes. However, following The Worldwide Leader in Sports’ decision to reportedly cancel Around the Horn next summer, the network must fill air time.
One solution? Give the audience more of this beloved show.
From a business point of view, this makes sense. You’re taking a program you already broadcast on multiple platforms and providing extra content without hiring new talent. Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon have been doing PTI for so long that they could easily give you bonus material. However, just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you necessarily should.
Turning PTI into PTI Max would be a mistake.
Tony Kornheiser: “This is college football attempting to spit in the eye of the NFL.”
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 19, 2024
‘Pardon the Interruption’ debates the “football on football crime” of the CFP scheduling its first round opposite an NFL Saturday: pic.twitter.com/tdMjjUt4Y9
Adding more time runs counter to what helped make the show successful in the first place. The entire concept of PTI is based around the clock on the right side of your screen. It was designed to keep the show moving so Kornheiser and Wilbon don’t get bogged down on one topic. It also helped the audience see what was coming up next and how long it would be discussed. For sports on TV in 2001, this was revolutionary. This was a TikTok approach before TikTok existed—short-attention-span theatre. The beauty of PTI is that it remains a fast, easy, and entertaining watch.
But ESPN might go full Martin Scorsese by stretching out a viewing experience that could be more enjoyable in a reasonable amount of time until it feels tedious.
Toying with a successful format, especially when the hosts are past retirement age seems risky. Kornheiser is 76 and Wilbon 66. Asking them to boost their output at this stage of their careers while still maintaining PTI’s high quality is asking a lot. Will the 5 Good Minutes segment become 15 Average Minutes? Will they work fewer shows per year, leading to more guest hosts? That’s not ideal. PTI isn’t the same show without Kornheiser and Wilbon, and their absence is felt whenever substitute teachers fill in.
Behind the scenes, they may already be pushing back against another 30 minutes, although the network probably could persuade them with more cash. They are wealthy men and two of the most influential people in the history of sports journalism. They should have a say on how they want the twilight years of this show to be. If they are adamantly opposed to stretching out PTI for the sake of covering a time-slot gap, upper management should listen.
The Bills beat the Chiefs, 30-21. Is your focus on the team that won this game, or the team that lost it? #NFLWeekend pic.twitter.com/05NNMmqoLv
— PTI (@PTI) November 18, 2024
This change is not set in stone. The network is reportedly considering multiple options. And people might wonder: What is the big deal? First Take is two hours, and The Tony Kornheiser Show podcast is just over an hour. However, many people passively watch First Take, and a podcast is a different medium. Pardon the Interruption is meant to be enjoyed while seeing Kornheiser and Wilbon poke fun at each other.
At 30 minutes, it’s terrific. At 60 minutes, it’s something a little less.