ESPN is exploring major changes to its weekday lineup, with the coveted 5 p.m. ET slot—formerly home to Around The Horn—emerging as the prime timeslot for the network. Sources familiar with the discussions tell The Athletic that Scott Van Pelt, the network’s personality-driven late-night SportsCenter anchor and host of Monday Night Countdown, is a leading candidate for the shift.
In an interview with The Athletic, ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus confirmed Van Pelt is under consideration for the hour, which sits between NFL Live and Pardon The Interruption.
In fact, Van Pelt’s potential move follows earlier efforts to reunite him with former ESPN teammate Ryen Russillo. The duo previously drew a strong following on ESPN Radio. Russillo opted to move his podcast from Bill Simmons’ Ringer Network to a new Barstool Sports-backed venture.
“That was a bit of a selfish concept by me, because I was such a huge fan of those two when they were together years ago,” Magnus said to The Athletic. “It just so happened that Ryen was exploring his future on a similar timeline. He ended up doing something different.”
For Van Pelt, the timing could be ideal. The 58-year-old host currently works late nights, a schedule Magnus says can be taxing.
“I think there is a limit for how long people can have their lives upside-down from working late nights,” Magnus noted. A daytime slot would allow Van Pelt to maintain some late-night SportsCenter hosting duties, particularly following major games. Plus potentially continue on Monday Night Countdown.
ESPN is taking a deliberate approach. The 5–5:30 p.m. SportsCenter slot currently out-rates the former Around The Horn. Drawing 448,000 viewers compared to 386,000 for the same period a year ago, according to Nielsen. Magnus emphasized the network is “pleasantly surprised” by the audience growth and intends to move carefully.
No decision is expected before next year. While Van Pelt appears to be the favorite, Magnus acknowledged the network is weighing all options before launching a new 5 p.m. show.
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