One of ESPN’s longest-tenured daytime shows is ending Friday to make room for Max Kellerman’s new vehicle. Plus: ESPN has a decision to make for its Week 18 NFL doubleheader; Nickelodeon will debut a weekly NFL show; and more.
Highly Questionable ending Friday as part of latest ESPN reshuffle
ESPN’s “Highly Questionable” will air for the final time on Friday before the show is retooled, renamed and moved to ESPN’s digital platforms. That news was announced Thursday as part of a programming retool that will also include a new 2 PM ET Max Kellerman show on ESPN (titled “This Just In”) and the move of “Jalen and Jacoby” to 4 PM ET on ESPN2. “Highly Questionable” debuted in 2011 as the vehicle of then-ESPN host Dan Le Batard, who co-hosted the show alongside his father for most of the past decade. Le Batard left ESPN under conflict in January, but the show had continued these past nine months without him.
“Highly Questionable” joins “The Jump” as staples of ESPN’s daytime line-up that have been canceled in the past month. [ESPN PR]
No decision yet on ESPN’s MNF “B” team
ESPN has made no decision yet on who will call the second game of its Week 18 NFL doubleheader on January 8. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit were the secondary broadcast team last year, calling the opening game of ESPN’s Week 1 doubleheader, but the pair will likely be busy with preparations for the January 10 College Football Playoff National Championship. The current Monday Night Football team of Steve Levy, Louis Riddick and Brian Griese served as the secondary team two years ago.
In other MNF news, ESPN announced Friday that ABC will simulcast its games in Weeks 14 (Rams-Cardinals) and 15 (Vikings-Bears), in addition to the previously-announced simulcasts in Weeks 1 and 18. ESPN also announced earlier in the week that it will use the music of Aubrey “Drake” Graham on games throughout the coming season. The Hank Williams Jr. “Are You Ready For Some Football?” open will not return, with ESPN continuing to use “Rip It Up” by Little Richard in its stead. [ESPN PR]
Nickelodeon adds weekly NFL show
CBS announced Friday that Nickelodeon will launch a weekly NFL-focused series hosted by Nate Burleson. Titled “NFL Slimetime,” the show will air Wednesdays beginning next week at 7 PM ET/PT and feature Nickelodeon-styled highlights and game footage and interviews with NFL players. In addition to Burleson, the series will also feature Dylan Schefter, the child of ESPN NFL reporter Adam.
As previously reported, Nickelodeon will again provide an alternate presentation of an NFL Wild Card game on CBS. As was the case last year, the CBS/Nickelodeon game is slotted for the 4:30 PM ET window on Wild Card Sunday (January 16). [CBS]
Plus: Big 12, Russini, Williams, McShay
The Big 12, which is losing Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC effective with the 2025-26 season, voted on Friday to accept BYU, UCF, Houston and Cincinnati as new members. According to ESPN, BYU will join the conference in the 2023-24 season with the other teams unlikely to join until the following year. … ESPN on Friday announced that it has reached a multi-year contract extension with NFL reporter Dianna Russini, who is currently on maternity leave. Russini has been with the company since 2015. … ESPN sideline reporter Allison Williams will not be on the sidelines for the time being as she has chosen not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. … ESPN sideline reporter Todd McShay said this week that he is taking a leave of absence from the company to focus on his health. [ESPN PR, Awful Announcing 9.9, ESPN PR/Twitter 9.7]
