ESPN is said to be weighing an expansion of “Pardon the Interruption” to an hour as it proceeds with plans to cancel “Around the Horn.”
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, expanding “PTI” from a half-hour to a full hour has emerged as one of ESPN’s “top ideas” for what to do with the 5 PM ET timeslot after “Around the Horn” ends next summer. While the company is also said to be interested in new shows involving Shannon Sharpe or Stephen A. Smith, the “PTI” expansion plan is said to be at the “forefront” of internal discussions.
Since its launch 23 years ago, “PTI” has almost always been a half-hour long, with the exception of the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was shortened to about 20 minutes. Per Marchand, hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon would receive raises in the event of an expansion.
“PTI” remains the most-watched daily sports talk show, in part because of its cushy evening timeslot — as opposed to the morning for “First Take” — and its length. It is far easier to sustain viewers over the course of a half-hour than an hour (or two hours for “First Take”).
Expanding to a full hour would be the biggest change to the format of the show since its launch, and would occur at a time when the hosts are rarely in the same studio together.
Prior to the launch of “Around the Horn” in 2002, the 5 PM ET half-hour was occupied by the Chris Connolly-hosted series “Unscripted” — itself a replacement for the interview show “Up Close” with Roy Firestone.
