Is Around The Horn cancelled? Tony Reali talks about his plans after the show

ESPN’s roundtable sports show, Around The Horn ended its magnetic 23-year run with the host, Tony Reali bidding viewers an emotional farewell. The last episode of the show was aired on Friday, May 23.

In November 2024, it was reported that ESPN planned to cancel the show, which was one of its early evening half-hour lineup.

Now, after a legendary run, Reali, who has been hosting Around The Horn since 2004, discussed what he plans to do now that the show has ended. As per Variety, Reali spoke about how important hosting the show was for him.

He said,

“I was 24 when I started on this show. I grew up on this show. This show helped me grow up. Maybe some of you feel the same way too. Life came fast, then slow as it does, gradually, then suddenly, I’ve shared through it all the highs and lows, because I believe life is best when it’s shared in full, and fullness has highs and lows.”

Variety also notes that Reali launched his website and YouTube channel during the final moments of Around The Horn.

Around The Horn’s Tony Reali opens up about what’s next for him

Tony Reali is excited by the possibilities that social media offers. During a discussion with USA Today Sports, Reali conveyed his fascination with new media and the opportunities that it offers to creators in terms of owning the content they produce.

Reali debuted his YouTube channel on his Instagram page, writing,

"The OFFICIAL Tony Reali YouTube Channel is now beaming worldwide. Everything sports, everything life, everything everything’! Welcome!”

The sportscaster also announced that he had already released a video, adding,

“Video number one is my goodbye to ESPN’s Around the Horn’s mute button. Saying it the only way I know how: with song! Loving you was ‘easy’, saying goodbye is hard. Goodnight, sweet prince.”

According to USA Today Sports, Reali is also interested in game shows and children’s shows, and he is debating the idea of running an Around The Horn-style show right from his home and through his website. Speaking to the news outlet, Reali said,

“I have a lot of interests, and more energy than interests. And I’m happy and I’m hungry.”

Continuing, Reali addressed the importance of staying connected with his audience, adding,

“I’m so grateful, as I said. I think everyone needs to recognize things go away because they have to go away, because there’s more to grow. And I’m not going anywhere. My goal is to connect with viewers, as we always have, in an energetic and fun way. More smiles to come.”

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Tony Reali on Around The Horn’s cancellation

Tony Reali spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina in an episode of the podcast, SI Media With Jimmy Traina, released on May 22, where he discussed the cancellation of Around The Horn.

Reali revealed that there was no explanation from ESPN about the show’s end, saying,

"I had to get to a place where I didn’t need an answer, maybe. The absence of explanation and the silence said enough for me. And then I maybe come from a school of thought that everything in TV goes away."

The host shared that he believed he could talk the network out of cancelling the show and said,

"Even after having that first meeting, and I’ve probably had two meetings in total, I was sure I could change their mind."

However, ESPN went ahead with its decision to cancel Around The Horn despite the fact that the show’s ratings were doing well. Reali said,

“I know how we’re driving ratings, I know how profitable, without knowing a number, but knowing how the economics of business has to work…So, I can be proud in knowing my show had a place. It’s their show. They can do whatever they want with it. But they’re not gonna fool me in thinking the show wasn’t making money or the ratings weren’t good.”

About his current relationship with the network, Reali told Traina that he knows he is valued for being on the show for such a long time and looks forward to having productive conversations with the network.