Rich Eisen became one of the most recognizable names in sports media during his run with ESPN more than two decades ago, and he is reportedly set to return to the network.
Eisen is moving his “The Rich Eisen Show” from Roku to ESPN in the fall, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. The 55-year-old is expected to have a similar arrangement to the one Pat McAfee has with “The Pat McAfee Show,” where the program will be licensed by ESPN but Eisen will maintain ownership and editorial control.
Eisen’s return to ESPN comes at a time when the network is preparing to launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service that will offer all of its programming without the need for a cable subscription. Marchand says “The Rich Eisen Show” could land on ESPN Radio in addition to being featured on the new streaming platform, ESPN+ and Disney+.
Eisen first worked for ESPN from 1996-2003, where he was best known for co-hosting “SportsCenter” alongside the late Stewart Scott. Eisen left ESPN in 2003 and joined NFL Network. He will still maintain his role with NFL Network, which includes serving as the primary host of “GameDay” and NFL Draft coverage. Eisen is also the play-by-play announcer for select NFL games on NFL Network.
ESPN and NFL Network have been in negotiations for well over a year about a deal that could see ESPN take control of the league-owned network. If a deal is completed, the timing could coincide with Eisen’s return to ESPN.
