"Pardon The Interruption" Hosts Re-Up at ESPN, Ensuring Their Presence Beyond 25th Anniversary of Hit Show
The duo have been with Pardon The Interruption since its inception in 2001.
ESPN has signed Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon to new multi-year extensions at the network, making sure the co-hosts remain on Pardon the Interruption beyond the show’s 25th anniversary next year.
What’s Happening:
- Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon have signed new multi-year extensions with ESPN, ensuring that both broadcasting legends will remain hosts of Pardon The Interruption beyond the show’s 25-year anniversary in fall 2026.
- PTI is one of the longest-running daily shows in sports media history and ESPN’s most-viewed daily studio program.
- Kornheiser and Wilbon have co-hosted together since PTI debuted on October 22, 2001.
- To this day, and multiple Sports Emmys later, the show remains a fan-favorite and one of the most beloved sports programs across television and streaming now well into its third decade.
- In addition to co-hosting PTI, Kornheiser and Wilbon will continue to contribute a daily segment for the opening minutes of the 6 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter. Wilbon will also remain a signature voice in ESPN’s season-long NBA coverage.
- Beyond its original airtime at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN, PTI re-airs multiple times per day across ESPN networks. It is also available on demand via the ESPN App, and in an audio-only version as a daily ESPN podcast. With ESPN’s full suite of networks and services now available directly to fans for the first time ever, PTI will remain one of the exclusive studio offerings in the years ahead.
- The 30-minute weekday show is also known for its 5 Good Minutes newsmaker interviews, its quirky Mail Time, Role Play and Odds Makers segments, and for its commitment to fact-checking during the daily Errors and Omissions recap, among other signature elements.
What They’re Saying:
- Burke Magnus, ESPN’s President of Content: “Tony and Mike have made PTI into a singular success story and every bit as relevant today as it has ever been. Their information and opinions are as smart and strong as ever, and they remain daily appointment viewing for sports fans."
Tony and Michael:
- Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon’s friendship began in the newsroom of The Washington Post in the 1980s, where they worked together as sportswriters. What started as a professional relationship quickly turned into a deep, decades-long friendship built on mutual respect, shared passions, and wildly different personalities that somehow fit together perfectly.
- They sat just a few desks apart in the sports department. Their daily debates about everything from basketball to politics to pop culture became a source of entertainment for their colleagues. Other writers at the Post would gather around to watch them argue, which became something of a newsroom sideshow—raw, spontaneous, and often hilarious.
- When ESPN was developing Pardon the Interruption in 2001, they were looking for something fresh that captured the feel of authentic sports debate without the shouting and grandstanding that was becoming common on TV. The producers realized that Kornheiser and Wilbon’s real-life arguments were better than anything they could script.
Laughing Place recommends MouseFanTravel.com for all your Disney travel planning
Fill out the form below for a free, no obligation quote from MouseFanTravel.com