
Sports Media Watch Podcast
End of "Around the Horn," Zaslav's NBA comments and the future of WBD, Jimmy Johnson's retirement
On the latest edition of the SMW podcast, Jon Lewis and Armand Broady discuss the end of the long-running ESPN show "Around the Horn" after 23 years on the air. The hosts analyze how the show has evolved over time, from its early days with a more confrontational tone under host Jay Mariotti, to the current more measured approach under Tony Reali.
They explore how the show's diversification of panelists may have turned off some viewers, and how ESPN's desire for more "rage bait" and heated debates may have made the show less valuable to the network.
The discussion then shifts to the sports media strategy of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who has been vocal about the company's approach to sports rights. The hosts are skeptical of Zaslav's claims that losing the NBA rights was a "great decision" for the company, and predict challenges ahead as WBD tries to fill programming gaps.
Finally, the podcast touches on the retirement announcement of longtime Fox NFL analyst Jimmy Johnson, and speculates on how Fox may look to replace him on their pregame show.
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