Pablo Torre was one of the biggest rising stars in sports media of 2025. Come this time next year, we may be saying the same thing about his rise in the news media.
Since leaving ESPN in 2023, Torre has been a regular contributor to MSNBC, most often as a commentator and fill-in host on Morning Joe. And as the network reimagines itself under the Versant banner following a split with NBC Universal, management is reportedly eyeing an “expanded role” for Torre across its platforms.
A new story at Semafor indicates that as the rebranded MS Now moves more aggressively into digital audio and video, events, and subscription products, Torre is at the top of the list of talent who could be in for more opportunities.
The New York-based journalist has long chased stories that veer outside the lines, first as a feature writer at Sports Illustrated and then at the Worldwide Leader. Since launching Pablo Torre Finds Out at Meadowlark Media, Torre has staked a reputation as one of the fiercest investigative reporters in the sports space working today. That reputation was backed up this summer by a reported seven-figure licensing and sales deal with The Athletic.
Particularly as sports, media, and politics become further intertwined in the 2020s, the network has already called upon Torre often to cover these intersections, and it is natural that they might want him around more often. And from Torre’s perspective, he could become the latest sports commentator to cover politics and news on a more regular basis.
Stephen A. Smith hosts a weekly political talk show on SiriusXM and his YouTube channel. Over the past decade, the broadcast networks’ NFL pregame shows have become somewhat of a feeder system for news shows, with both Michael Strahan and Nate Burleson anchoring at ABC and CBS, respectively. And from Dave Portnoy to Bomani Jones, it is common to see sports hosts appear on news networks and even political debate shows.
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.