One of ESPN’s longtime programming staples, “Around the Horn,” will come to an end in the summer of 2025, two sources briefed on the plans confirmed Thursday. The New York Post first reported the news.
The roundtable discussion show, which features notable panelists from the media world discussing the day’s top stories, launched in 2002 with Max Kellerman as host. Tony Reali took over hosting duties in 2004 and has remained in that role ever since. The show became a popular mainstay on the network in the 5 p.m. ET time slot, pairing with “Pardon the Interruption” and featuring sportswriters and media personalities from around the country, including Woody Paige, Mina Kimes, Bill Plaschke, Jackie MacMullan, J.A. Adande and Elle Duncan, among others.
Erik Rydholm, the creator and executive producer of “Pardon the Interruption,” has overseen “Around the Horn” since 2004.
The Athletic’s Stephen J. Nesbitt described the show in a story on Reali in 2022 as evolving “from a barrage of bombastic debate into a smarter show where banter and nuance can coexist,” and wrote that “Reali has developed from a facilitator, a pass-first point guard, into a host whose voice and vulnerability have made a glorified game show into a refreshingly genuine space.”
It’s unclear what will be next for Reali, 46. In terms of the show’s slot, the network and Rydholm’s team are exploring other shows but don’t have an exact plan yet, a source briefed on the matter confirmed.
Required reading
- Tony Reali on life, grief, empathy and two decades of ‘Around the Horn’
(Photo: Michael Loccisano / Getty Images For ESPN)
