The final episode of “Around the Horn” aired on Friday, and ESPN is not planning to replace the show with an entirely new program as of now.
ESPN on Tuesday will begin airing a half-hour edition of “SportsCenter” in its 5:00 p.m. time slot, according to a report from Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. Matt Barrie and Christine Williamson will be the primary anchors for the show and will continue to host the 2:00 p.m. edition of “SportsCenter” as well.
Both Barrie and Williamson serve in a variety of roles for ESPN. Barrie, who has been with the network since 2013, hosts ESPN’s studio coverage of college football on Saturdays during the season. He has also helped out with coverage of the Masters and serves as a play-by-play announcer for some weekday college football games.
Williamson was hired by ESPN in 2019 and works on “SC on Snap and “Hoop Streams” in addition to hosting “SportsCenter.”
An ESPN spokesperson told Glasspiegel that the 30-minute edition of “SportsCenter” will occupy the slot that previously belonged to “Around the Horn” for at least several months. A new show could come into play after that.
There have been a number of ideas floated regarding what ESPN can do with its 5:00 p.m. time slot. A report late last year said the network was considering an expansion of another popular program. Another idea that was explored involved Shannon Sharpe, but he has since taken a temporary hiatus from ESPN in the wake of recent allegations a woman made against him.
What happened to ‘Around the Horn?’
ESPN’s decision to cancel “Around the Horn” came as a surprise to many, as the program had aired on the network since 2002. One theory is that the show became too political and ESPN executives were unhappy about that.
Tony Reali, who was the host of “Around the Horn” since Max Kellerman left in 2004, was asked this week about the claims that ESPN canceled the show because it became “too woke.” Reali explained why he does not believe that is the case.
