ESPN will debut a new Monday afternoon football show featuring Booger McFarland, Herm Edwards, and Michael Eaves to replace “NFL Rewind.” Plus: David Jacoby joins “The Carton Show” on FS1; Warner Bros Discovery Sports finalizing plans to exit RSN business; Dianna Russini explains ESPN exit.
ESPN to air new daytime football show
ESPN is set to shakeup its dayside programming this fall with a yet-to-be-named football show. The program will cover both NFL and college football and air in the old “NFL Rewind” time slot on Monday afternoons.
The new-look show will be overseen by Norby Williamson after the recent departure of Lee Fitting who headed football programming for the network. Williamson tapped Booger McFarland and Herm Edwards as analysts with Michael Eaves to host.
McFarland is coming off a stint with ESPN’s NFL pregame show “Monday Night Countdown” which recently reshuffled its talent lineup, while Edwards most recently was fired from Arizona State during the 2022 season amid an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations. (NY Post, 8.28)
WBD Sports finalizing RSN exit
Warner Bros Discovery Sports, who announced earlier this year they would make moves to exit the ailing RSN business, is taking steps to finalize those moves.
WBD Sports owns the AT&T-branded RSNs in Pittsburgh, Houston, and Denver. According to Sports Business Journal, the Pittsburgh and Houston channels are primed for a sale while the Denver channel will likely shutdown.
The Pittsburgh-based channel will likely be sold to Fenway Sports Group who own the NHL’s Penguins. A deal with the Houston-based channel may take longer as WBD Sports negotiates with the Rockets and Astros to purchase the RSN, though a deal is likely to be reached prior to NBA season.
All signs point to the shuttering of the Denver-based channel as Stan Kroenke‘s Altitude looks to secure rights for the Colorado Rockies, completing a three team media rights trifecta with the Nuggets and Avalanche. (SBJ, 8.28)
Russini explains ESPN departure
NFL insider Dianna Russini, who recently left ESPN for The Athletic, explained to Peter King of NBC Sports that ESPN “did not have a vision” for her future with the network.
Russini told King, “It wasn’t a situation where ESPN didn’t want me. I love ESPN. They’ve given me so much opportunity and the people I’ve worked with were incredible … There was no elevation there for me based on my conversations with the company. They did not have a vision outside of what I currently do.”
To the contrary, Russini explains The Athletic, “has an endless amount of roles and ideas for [her].” (NBC Sports, 8.28)
David Jacoby joins FS1
FS1 has added former ESPN talent David Jacoby to join “The Carton Show” with Craig Carton weekday mornings. The show features a rotating panel of guests that includes former NFL players Greg Jennings, Victor Cruz and Plaxico Burress.
Jacoby spent over two decades as both a producer and on-air talent at ESPN, recently heading up “Jalen and Jacoby” with former NBA star Jalen Rose.
Read the full release here.
