ESPN Mainstay Show Canceled After 23 Years

The mute button will soon fall silent forever as ESPN pulls the plug on one of its longest-running debate programs. Around the Horn, a fixture in ESPN’s daily lineup since November 2002, will broadcast its final episode on May 23, concluding a 23-year run that spanned nearly 5,000 episodes, according to an announcement made by the network on Tuesday, March 4, as reported by TVLine.

The sports debate program, which has occupied the coveted 5:00 p.m. ET timeslot for over two decades, features host Tony Reali awarding points to a rotating panel of sports journalists who discuss and debate the day’s biggest sports stories. The show’s distinctive format, which grants Reali the power to mute participants mid-argument, has made it a fixture for sports fans across America.

David Roberts, executive vice president and executive editor for sports news and entertainment at ESPN, acknowledged the program’s extraordinary longevity in the network’s official statement. “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,” Roberts stated.

The executive also specifically praised both the on-air talent and behind-the-scenes personnel, adding: “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.”

While ESPN has refrained from explicitly stating why the program is being discontinued, Sports Illustrated reports that sources familiar with the situation indicated the network is seeking a “more modern concept” and “something different” for the timeslot. The publication notes that while Around the Horn viewership trails its lead-in program Pardon the Interruption, its ratings remain comparable to other ESPN debate shows like Get Up and First Take.

The announcement has triggered an outpouring of emotional responses from the show’s prominent personalities on social media. Reali, who has hosted since taking over from Max Kellerman in February 2004, expressed gratitude on X, writing: “Thank you guys, I’m overwhelmed but I’ll try to give FaceTimes to you all! Between this and Ash Wednesday this is my busy season!” He poignantly added lyrics from Guns N’ Roses’ “Rocket Queen”: “All I ever wanted / Was for you / To know that I care.”

Woody Paige, the show’s most frequent panelist, and all-time points leader shared his own bittersweet reaction: “My records will never be broken. But my heart is broken.” In characteristic humor, he added, “Sorry to hear that frat houses and bars no longer will have shots of fireball every time I’m muted.”

Other regular contributors emphasized how the program provided pivotal career opportunities. Mina Kimes credited the show with giving her “the confidence to even believe someone like me could do TV,” while David Dennis Jr. reflected, “I didn’t even think about the possibility of being on TV until Around The Horn. It never gets old that I’m on the show I watched as a kid.”

The fate of Reali following the show’s conclusion remains uncertain. According to Sports Illustrated, no decisions have been finalized regarding his future role at ESPN, though the publication emphasized it would be “a big loss” if the network failed to find a significant position for him. ESPN plans to temporarily fill the vacated timeslot with 30-minute editions of SportsCenter beginning this summer, TVLine confirms, though the network’s long-term strategy for the 5:00 p.m. hour is uncertain as it potentially develops new programming concepts.