ESPN sent shockwaves throughout the sports media universe as reports emerged that the network planned to cancel Around the Horn after almost two decades on the air. The network has yet to announce anything official regarding its future, but already new reports are emerging as to what might replace the longtime lead-in to Pardon the Interruption. And it may just be more PTI.
The 5 p.m. ET block of “Happy Hour” programming consisting of Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption has run uninterrupted since all the way back in 2002. However, that incredible run will finally come to an end next summer as it’s an open secret that ESPN plans to say goodbye to ATH.
With the program still doing good ratings and showing no signs of any real decline in popularity or relevance, there is a big question of what exactly ESPN could find to replace it that could give similar value.
According to Andrew Marchand at The Athletic, simply expanding Pardon The Interruption to one hour is “at the forefront of discussions.”
PTI debuted one year before Around the Horn in 2001. And although Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser tease each other about their various trips and vacations, they have been the leading voices of the show for decades. As far as popularity and influence go over the entire medium of sports television, PTI is the gold standard. So why not simply double down on the original?
Well, at a combined 142 years old, it remains to be seen just how long-term a commitment this might be if it indeed comes to fruition. ATH was so important to ESPN because it helped give new voices a prominent platform on the network and helped them become more household names. As great and as legendary as it is, 60 minutes of Pardon the Interruption would be the exact opposite of that. Marchand reports that it would naturally come with more compensation for Wilbon and Kornheiser to double their airtime.
Then there is what happens to the formatting of the show, which has been a well-oiled machine for decades. It’d be fascinating to see what the pair might do with it, whether they have longer discussions on a similar number of topics, or go for more topics or even additional segments over the course of an hour.
Another option ESPN is reportedly considering is a show centered around Shannon Sharpe. The Hall of Fame tight end has a new ESPN contract and currently works Mondays and Tuesdays on First Take. Although he has a budding podcast empire of his own, more Sharpe on ESPN linear television makes a lot of sense given his meteoric rise in recent times depending on the logistics and his own interests.
All eyes are on which direction ESPN ultimately chooses, but it does show that the network canceled Around the Horn in the first place with no real end goal in mind, which remains a puzzling decision.
