Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon Sign New Multi-Year Extensions with ESPN

Broadcasting legends will remain co-hosts of Pardon The Interruption beyond the show's 25-year anniversary in 2026; Rydholm Projects, Inc. will continue to produce PTI

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, two of the most influential voices in media, 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. Built upon the contentious but good-natured verbal sparring they engaged in for years in The Washington Post newsroom as sports columnists and colleagues, the show remains a fan-favorite and one of the most beloved programs across television and streaming now well into its third decade. In all, PTI has been honored with three Sports Emmy Awards for Outstanding Daily Studio Show (2009, 2016 and 2019).

"Tony and Mike have made PTI into a singular success story and every bit as relevant today as it has ever been," said Burke Magnus, ESPN's President of Content. "Their information and opinions are as smart and strong as ever, and they remain daily appointment viewing for sports fans."

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.

PTI's iconic graphic rundown and fast-paced format have been imitated by countless sports, news and entertainment programs since its debut in the early 2000s. 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.

In addition to the new deals for Kornheiser and Wilbon, Rydholm Projects, Inc. has agreed to terms on an extension with ESPN to continue producing PTI from Washington, D.C. under the direction of executive producer Erik Rydholm and coordinating producer Matt Kelliher, who've been with the show since its inception.

Kornheiser and Wilbon

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon's decades-long contributions to ESPN go back to the 1990s when both frequently appeared as panelists on the Sunday morning roundtable program The Sports Reporters during their time as sports columnists for The Washington Post. Kornheiser hosted ESPN Radio's Tony Kornheiser Show from January 1998 through March 2004 and helped launch ESPN's Monday Night Football as an NFL booth commentator from 2006-08, in addition to co-hosting PTI since 2001. Since September 2016, Kornheiser has also hosted The Tony Kornheiser Show podcast.

Wilbon, the pioneering sports journalist who received the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2020 from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has contributed to ESPN's NBA coverage since 2005 and is a regular panelist on NBA Countdown beyond hosting PTI. Wilbon expanded his overall ESPN role in 2011 and is regularly seen and heard across a variety of platforms, including SportsCenter. He also previously wrote regular columns for ESPN.com and ESPNChicago.com, as well as The Undefeated (now Andscape), and appeared on ESPN Radio, including ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago.

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