ESPN is reportedly closing in on major programming decisions involving Peter Schrager ahead of the fall football season. According to The Athletic, the network has identified leading candidates for two key afternoon time slots.
What We Know: ESPN is reportedly targeting a Peter Schrager-led show for the 2 p.m. ET hour. Meanwhile, SportsCenter is the frontrunner to hold the 5 p.m. slot that it currently occupies. The timeslot belonged previously to Around The Horn, which was canceled last May. Schrager joined ESPN just over a year ago. During that time, he has quickly become a fixture across Get Up, NFL Live, and The Pat McAfee Show. Notably, his guest-hosting stints on Get Up reportedly gave executives confidence he can anchor his own program.
What They Said: Peter Schrager to Barrett Media (April 2026) “I just want to be the guy you want to sit next to on a plane and talk sports with. My goal is you see my face on ESPN and you say, ‘Oh s**t. Schrager’s on today, what’s he got. This is going to be fun.’”
What Remains Unclear: No decisions are yet final, and ESPN has not commented on the reporting by The Athletic. If Schrager were to move to a weekday program, it would potentially affect his role with Get Up, NFL Live and other programs. Schrager has filled in as a guest host on a number of ESPN studio programming which makes him a prime candidate for a role as host.
What It Means: Last month, I spoke with Peter Schrager for a Barrett Media feature. He talked about following ESPN’s lead on where he fits best. Since joining the network, his fear has faded. He no longer worries that ESPN won’t adapt to his personality and energy. That concern has proven unfounded. Schrager would make a strong host for a 2pm timeslot on ESPN. Furthermore, he represents a natural cross-promotional opportunity. ESPN could lean on the McAfee program’s audience to migrate to the network rather than staying on YouTube. As for the 5pm timeslot, ESPN has seen rising viewership since Around the Horn ended last year. The SportsCenter model continues gaining traction in that slot. Meanwhile, Scott Van Pelt made his position clear earlier this year. He said he has no plans to move his successful midnight program to an earlier daypart.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
