Tony Kornheiser, Michael Wilbon ink new deals to keep ‘PTI’ on ESPN through show’s 25th anniversary
-
Click here to listen to this article - Share via
See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred
Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon have signed new contracts with ESPN that will keep them as hosts of “Pardon the Interruption” at least through the show’s 25th anniversary next fall, the network announced Tuesday.
The previous contracts for both men had expired in August. The new ones are described in an ESPN news release as “multiyear.”
The sports media behemoth ESPN will take control of the NFL channels Red Zone and NFL Network in a deal that gives the league an equity stake.
The former Washington Post sports writers have hosted “PTI” since it debuted Oct. 22, 2001. The fast-paced sports debate show has won the Sports Emmy Award for daily studio show three times (2009, 2016 and 2019) and is ESPN’s most-viewed daily studio program.
“Tony and Mike have made PTI into a singular success story and every bit as relevant today as it has ever been,” Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content, said in a news release. “Their information and opinions are as smart and strong as ever, and they remain daily appointment viewing for sports fans.”
Tim Legler will replace Doris Burke as an analyst for ESPN/ABC’s lead NBA broadcast team. But Burke isn’t going anywhere - she just signed a multi-year extension with the network.
Kornheiser and Wilbon will continue their daily segment for the 3 p.m. Pacific edition of SportsCenter and Wilbon will also remain a part of ESPN’s NBA coverage.
The news came months after “Around the Horn,” another long-running sports debate show on ESPN, aired its final episode. That show ran from November 2002 until this past May and was paired with “PTI” on weekday afternoons, with “Horn” at 2 p.m. Pacific and “Interruption” at 2:30 p.m.
Columnist Bill Plaschke didn’t score the most victories during his run on ESPN’s “Around the Horn,” but he did win a second family and ardent fans.
ESPN also announced an extension with Rydholm Projects Inc. to continue producing “PTI.” Executive producer Erik Rydholm and coordinating producer Matt Kelliher have been with the show since the beginning.
Rydholm was also the executive producer of “Around the Horn” as well as the former ESPN shows “Highly Questionable” and “The Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz.”
