Longtime viewers were shook this past week to learn that Around the Horn‘s 23-year run at ESPN will end next summer.
The loss of ATH means that one of the anchors of the network’s afternoon programming will soon be gone. It also begged the question of whether or not longtime batterymate Pardon the Interruption might also be shuffled loose its mortal coil.
The good news (or bad news, we guess, if you don’t like Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon) is that PTI isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“It’s easy to hear this news and speculate about the future of PTI, especially now that Mike and Tony are rarely in the same studio and both pushing deeper into the golfing phases of their careers,” wrote Puck’s John Ourand in his recent Varsity newsletter. “But my Bristol sources insist PTI will continue to anchor ESPN’s afternoon block for the foreseeable future.”
PTI began in 2001 and is credited, for better or worse, as one of the formative shows that led to ESPN’s Embrace Debate era, which gave us First Take and Get Up. This influence also extended outward to places like FS1 with Undusputed.
Despite the variations and evolution of the format, PTI has always stuck to its simple setup. While Kornheiser and Wilbon can be old men yelling at clouds at times, they’ve also embraced their elder statesmen status regarding the major stories of the day.
As for what will join PTI in the afternoon block after next summer, that remains to be seen. Losing ATH is a reminder that this ain’t your daddy’s ESPN anymore. However, the news that Tony and Michael will be sticking around for a while longer softens the blow.
[Puck]
