ESPN’s Happy Hour lineup will look a bit different come next summer.
According to Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post, Around the Horn‘s 23-year run at ESPN will come to an end. The Post reported in July that the show was in trouble.
The show, which launched in 2002 but really began to take shape in 2004 when Tony Reali replaced Max Kellerman as host, has been a staple of ESPN’s 5 p.m. ET time slot for over two decades. Many legendary panelists, from Woody Paige to Jackie MacMullan to J.A. Adande, turned the show into the blockbuster it is today.
The list of ATH personalities goes much longer than those three.
The unique format helped launch the television careers of traditional print journalists. In recent years, ATH has become a breeding ground of sorts for up-and-coming ESPN personalities to jump-start their careers.
Since 2004, ATH has operated under the purview of Erik Rydholm, the creator and executive producer of ESPN’s other Happy Hour show, Pardon the Interruption. According to the New York Post report, Rydholm and his team will be involved in creating a replacement for the show next summer.
It’s unclear exactly why ATH is being retired. The show has commanded strong ratings throughout its run and has become an iconic part of ESPN’s daily lineup. Glasspiegel only suggests that the cancellation had been “under consideration by [ESPN] brass.”
The next several months will be bittersweet for fans of the show. However, with Rydholm apparently at the helm for ATH‘s replacement, there should be confidence in whatever show replaces it.
[New York Post]
