One of the longest-running TV shows in sports is coming to an end.
ESPN says that its weekday debate series Around the Horn will televise its final episode on May 23, after 23 years and more than 4,900 episodes.
The 5 p.m. show, hosted by Tony Reali, sees a panel of sports commentators attempt to earn points from the host, or be muted if their takes aren’t up to snuff. The show debuted in 2002, and Reali has hosted it since 2004.
The panelists over the years have included a veritable who’s who of sports media personalities, including Jemele Hill, Bomani Jones, Mina Kimes, Woody Paige, Bill Plaschke, Bob Ryan, Sarah Spain, Pablo Torre and Clinton Yates, among many, many others.
ESPN says that it will air a 30-minute edition of SportsCenter at 5 after the show signs off, with further schedule updates to come at a later date.
“Around the Horn has had a remarkable run of more than two decades. That kind of longevity in media is incredibly rare, and we look forward to celebrating the show’s many accomplishments before the final sign-off in May,” said David Roberts, ESPN executive VP and executive editor of sports news and entertainment. “Beyond Tony and the ensemble of on-air contributors, we are particularly grateful to the production team led by Erik Rydholm and Aaron Solomon, who have been instrumental in ATH’s consistent success since the very beginning.”
ESPN is in the midst of overhauling its schedule, adding new talent while it cuts other talent loose, canceling some shows but bringing on others, and perhaps most notable culling some sports rights in favor of others (the company last week dumped MLB).
The changes are all being made in a bid to prepare for the launch of the upcoming direct-to-consumer service, with the company hoping to hold onto programming that it feels will resonate with that audience.