As first reported by Front Office Sports, ESPN has officially canceled Around the Horn. The talk/debate show will end its legendary run on May 23, after 23 years and more than 4,900 shows. ESPN won’t say what’s next, except for a temporary half-hour SportsCenter in ATH’s old 5 p.m. ET time slot this summer. But I’ve got an idea for what should come next: How about a show focused on the high-stakes world of sports “insiders”?
As sports media evolves, some positions get more attention than others. Hip, wise-cracking SportsCenter anchors like Dan Patrick were once the industry’s biggest stars. Then came opinionists like Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless, who embraced debate. But in recent years, there’s been a growing fascination with insiders like ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Shams Charania, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, and Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.
Bolstered by their massive social media followings, these insiders drive the news cycle and furiously compete with one another on a second-by-second basis. They’re not just reporters. They are their own industries, often operating across multiple media platforms and revenue streams and drawing some of the highest salaries outside of lead NFL announcers. When they pop up on the Sunday NFL pregame shows, you sit up and take notice because you’ll generally learn something.
The juiciest story at the NFL Scouting Combine was an expletive-filled confrontation between Rapoport and Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz at a Starbucks inside the Indianapolis JW Marriott. Media outlets from Charles Barkley’s Inside the NBA to The Pat McAfee Show had a ball riffing on what ProFootballTalk called “The Thrilla in Vanilla (Latte).” Cracked Barkley: “I was at Starbucks today. It’s dangerous there, Ernie. Fists flying everywhere.”
Mike Florio of PFT said his breakdown of the insider vs. insider beef became the most-read story on his website last week. The story generated $3.7 million in earned media, or free publicity, for Starbucks through Sunday, according to Eric Smallwood of Apex Marketing Group. It should be noted that Jordan Schultz is the son of Howard Schultz, the longtime Starbucks CEO. Rapoport’s wife, Leah, is a former Starbucks store manager.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the end of ATH was the top trending story on X/Twitter as cast members past and present poured one out for their favorite show. Wrote Elle Duncan: “This show has meant so much to me personally and professionally. Spending a little time in @TonyReali’s orbit has been the greatest gift of all. This is a tough pill to swallow.” Added Woody Paige: “Sorry to hear that frat houses and bars no longer will have shots of fireball every time I’m muted.” ESPN is mum about who will appear on the final show. But there’s already debate about who should be featured. Jay Mariotti? Jemele Hill? Bomani Jones? The list goes on and on.
Don’t forget that one of the biggest sports media stories of 2024 was Charania replacing Adrian Wojnarowski after the top NBA newsbreaker stepped away from his fast-paced lifestyle to return to his alma mater St. Bonaventure.
ESPN could have a fascinating show where the likes of Schefter, Charania, Jeff Passan, and Emily Kaplan not only talk about breaking the latest news but also their own 24/7 lifestyle. Insiders tend to be smart, funny, and fiercely competitive. They’d argue over scoops, sourcing, narratives. They’d be great TV. If producers are smart, they’d bring in non-ESPN insiders like Rapoport, Glazer, Josina Anderson, and, yes, Schultz to contribute to the show. Hey, McAfee brings in non-ESPNers like Rapoport, and Charania before he joined the network. The sky hasn’t fallen in Bristol.
My colleague Ryan Glasspiegel broke the news that ESPN planned to cancel ATH after more than two decades. He’s reported one possibility is for ESPN to extend Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon’s popular Pardon the Interruption from 30 minutes to 60. It makes sense. PTI is one of ESPN’s best shows. But does ESPN really want to mess with its format and DNA after 23 years?
Another source familiar with ESPN’s strategy told me: “I’ve heard everything from them potentially expanding PTI to launching a new personality-led vehicle.”
The precedent has been set. NFL Network has the NFL Insiders show with Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, Mike Garafolo, and Judy Battista. It’s a smart, fun, informative show. When they appear on TV, they’re even better as a cast.
An “Insiders” program on ESPN is an idea whose time has come in my book. Maybe we’ll get a sequel to the “Thrilla in Vanilla.”
