Around The Horn is ending and ESPN will look different next week: Here's why iconic show was canceled
After nearly 23 years, ESPN’s iconic sports debate show Around the Horn aired its final episode on Friday
After nearly 23 years, ESPN’s iconic sports debate show Around the Horn aired its final episode on Friday, days after Los Angeles-based SportsCenter halted production earlier this week. Additionally, veteran anchor Stan Verrett, a 25-year ESPN stalwart, will depart this summer as his contract is not renewed, The Hollywood Reporter reported, citing sources.
These moves reflect ESPN’s strategic shift toward cost-cutting.
Why Around the Horn was canceled
Around the Horn, launched on November 4, 2002, and hosted by Tony Reali since 2004, concluded after 4,953 episodes. The show, known for its lively debates among journalists like Woody Paige, Mina Kimes, and Bill Plaschke, was canceled as ESPN seeks to ‘modernize’ its programming, per The Hollywood Reporter.
The network cited a desire to focus on game-centric content and adapt to shifting viewer habits, with audiences increasingly favoring streaming and highlights over traditional debate formats.
ESPN executive David Roberts told New York Magazine that the decision wasn’t driven by ratings or cultural shifts but by a need for a ‘more modern concept’, aligning with the 2025–26 launch of ESPN’s standalone streaming service, priced at $29.99/month.
Former panelist Jay Mariotti claimed on Substack that the show’s inclusion of diverse panelists and discussions on race or politics alienated viewers. Host Tony Reali dismissed this on The Dan Patrick Show.
ESPN will temporarily fill the 5 PM slot with a 30-minute SportsCenter, but no permanent replacement is confirmed, per TVLine.
Los Angeles SportsCenter shut down
On May 19, 2025, ESPN aired its final Los Angeles-based SportsCenter, anchored by Linda Cohn and Stan Verrett, ending a 15-year run that began in 2009. The network relocated production to its Bristol, Connecticut, headquarters.
Stan Verrett’s departure
Stan Verrett, a New Orleans native and Emmy Award-winning anchor, will leave ESPN by summer’s end after 25 years, as his contract was not renewed, per Front Office Sports. Verrett, who joined in 2000 and co-anchored the 1 AM ET SportsCenter from Los Angeles since 2009 with Neil Everett.
Sources told OutKick that Verrett offered to stay at a lower salary, but ESPN declined. He will, however, anchor SportsCenter in the coming months and participate in ESPN’s ‘50 States in 50 Days’ tour starting June 27, 2025, to promote its streaming service.
