Congratulations, America! We have officially reached the beginning of the NFL season. For the next five months, the country will be deeply engrossed in flashes of color and stories of the mighty. Football season is when radio stations and network television reel in the biggest audiences and find the largest revenues. Which is why it’s stunning to still ask the question: what is ESPN doing with the timeslot once owned by Around the Horn?
With all the signings, announcements, and partnerships that “The Worldwide Leader” has made in preparation for the start of the NFL season. There is still one piece oddly missing in all the headlines.
It leads one to wonder why Around the Horn’s timeslot hasn’t been filled as football returns for American sports fans.
Six months ago, when ESPN formally announced the conclusion of the Around the Horn program, the news was met with mixed reactions. Some saying the program lasted far too long, while others lamented the lost celebration of journalists the program provided the network.
Tony Reali was a celebrated ESPN personality for generations. Following the announcement of the show’s cancellation later in the year, his star grew even bigger.
What’s Taking So Long?
The show concluded its 23-year run on the network in May, reaching a larger-than-normal audience averaging just under 500,000. The program stayed true to its traditional format for its final run but featured many send-offs from the regular panelists and Reali himself.
That was May 23.
105 days later, still no replacement program has been named for the coveted 5 p.m. Eastern timeslot.
Why? Was there ever a plan to replace Around the Horn from the start, or were there assumptions made about the future of Pardon the Interruption, with a “wait-and-see” approach?
There are many conspiracy theories that have circulated on the interwebs over the past couple of months. But the end result remains: ESPN has had six months to conceptualize, form, prepare, and launch a replacement for Around the Horn—and hasn’t yet.
ESPN Senior Vice President of Sports Studio and Entertainment Mike Foss sat down for an interview with Boardroom last month. He was asked about the future of the timeslot. Foss said there was no current timetable for when a new show would debut, adding that the replacement had to reflect modern times.
“We want to make sure that whatever we choose is there for the long haul, for as long as Around the Horn was,” Foss said to Boardroom, “and that’s going to take time.”
Am I to believe that the largest sports entertainment network in the entire country hasn’t been able to find a replacement thirty-minute program in the last six months?
Is ESPN Too Busy?
There’s been a lot going on at ESPN: the launch of the new direct-to-consumer product, the new partnership with WWE, the NFL acquiring a 10% stake in the network, all the signings, re-signings, and partnerships that come along with preparing for football season, ongoing rights negotiations with UFC and MLB among others, and Rich Eisen returning to the team in Bristol.
No doubt about it. ESPN has had a busy six months since the announcement that Around the Horn is moving on.
However, for a flagship show like Around the Horn in a primetime weekday timeslot to go vacant for months and still have no answer as football season arrives is puzzling.
Then came news yesterday that Pardon the Interruption would be showcasing a “special” hourlong episode to welcome the start of the NFL season. Interesting timing—and a very simple way to make the announcement with a singular tweet from the PTI account.
Could this be a “dry run” for an hourlong Pardon the Interruption moving forward? An answer to the question of how ESPN replaces Around the Horn’s timeslot permanently?
If you believe a Washington Post report in May, PTI hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon turned down the offer from ESPN as it didn’t come with much of a raise in pay.
During an appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show in July, Le Batard floated the idea that Wilbon’s deal with ESPN was up “next month.” That would mean, if true, Wilbon’s contract ended last month with the network. ESPN has not announced contract extensions for either Wilbon or Kornheiser.
Time to connect the dots.
Assuming Wilbon and Kornheiser’s contracts were coming up at the end of summer. Assuming ESPN approached the co-hosts about expanding PTI to an hour—which was reportedly denied. Assuming Le Batard was correct on the timing of Wilbon’s contract expiration. Both Kornheiser and Wilbon hosted an hourlong Pardon the Interruption yesterday afternoon.
Was the plan all along to wait out PTI and nothing else?
Questions Still Linger
I don’t believe that ESPN is the type of network to be so short-sighted in their planning. However, since PTI hosted an hourlong episode yesterday, is that the play? Is that the show to reflect modern times, as Foss stated to Boardroom? Is that the show for which “long haul” is expected?
There are still many questions to be answered by ESPN:
Why was Around the Horn cancelled if no plans to replace it were prepared?
Why has it taken so long to find a replacement for a legacy program in a highly coveted and important weekday timeslot?
If the plans are a program to fit modern times, does that mean another licensing deal with a content creator(s)?
I remain fascinated by the timeline of events and the continued mystery that remains.
Or did I miss the memo?
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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.
It’s apparent somebody at ESPN was tired of around the horn. I’m disappointed by it’s cancellation and not really interested in a replacement. I loved being able to hear from all these sports journalists every day. Although I personally didn’t care for the times when Reali got kind of personal and human. I just wanted to hear them talk sports.
I personally doubt that Mike and Tony want to do an hour show every day. But then again, considering how often one or both are absent, perhaps theyd agree to it I don’t live to schedule. Though as much as I like Frank, Pablo, and Mina, I prefer Mike and Tony. It might be of interest is rotating a lot of the journalists from around the horn on PTI. That might allow them to expand PTI to one hour and would offer a good mix of voices.