or


[10/19/16 - 09:11 AM]
ESPN Signs Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon to New Multi-Year Extensions as "Pardon the Interruption" Marks 15th Anniversary
"Tony and Mike are the best in the business and 'PTI' is the gold standard of daily sports commentary," said Connor Schell.

[via press release from ESPN]

ESPN Signs Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon to New Multi-Year Extensions as "Pardon the Interruption" Marks 15th Anniversary

This week marks the 15-year anniversary of Pardon the Interruption, and ESPN has signed the show's popular co-hosts to new multi-year contract extensions. Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, who have been with PTI since the daily sports news and discussion show debuted on October 17, 2001, will continue to work together and contribute to other ESPN platforms.

Kornheiser and Wilbon are two of the most influential voices in sports media. Together, along with executive producer Erik Rydholm and coordinating producer Matt Kelliher, they have made PTI an institution. The contentious but good-natured verbal sparring between the hosts was born from the kinds of conversations they had for years in The Washington Post newsroom as sports columnists and colleagues.

PTI has been praised for its unique, fast-paced, wide-ranging and humorous discussion of the day's sports news. Some of the show's innovative elements - including its graphic rundown and countdown clock - have been replicated through the years by other sports, news and entertainment shows. PTI has also earned its share of critical acclaim, including the 2009 Sports Emmy Award for Daily Outstanding Studio Show.

"Tony and Mike are the best in the business and PTI is the gold standard of daily sports commentary," said Connor Schell, senior vice president and executive producer, ESPN Original Content. "That PTI remains as insightful and innovative as ever - and as relevant - is a tribute to the genius and hard work of Erik, Matt and their whole team."

Rydholm added: "Tony works harder and is more curious than he was when we started. He's 15 years older, but acts like he's 15 years younger. Mike is absolutely tireless, and is constantly forging relationships that give him firsthand perspective that he brings back to the show."

A must-watch for fans, PTI is ESPN's most-viewed daily studio program. It averages well over a million viewers each day, combining the original air on ESPN (5:30 p.m. ET) with the immediate re-air on ESPN2 (6:30 p.m.). PTI is also ESPN's most-DVR'd studio show with the household rating jumping 30 percent from time-shifting (Live to Live+7 Day). In addition, daily podcasts of the 30-minute PTI rank among the most popular offerings on the ESPN PodCenter platform and the Apple iTunes store. In fact, over the last three years (since Sept. 2013), PTI has been ESPN's most popular podcast with more than 100 million downloads. Kornheiser and Wilbon also do a daily segment in the opening minutes of the 6 p.m. edition of SportsCenter.

Said Kornheiser: "The fact that ESPN would give me yet another extension at my age indicates one of two things: one, they have never actually seen me on television. Two, they feel they are saving money on health insurance because they think I will have all my expenses covered by Medicare. Either way I am thrilled to be doing PTI with Wilbon and scaring the children."

In addition to PTI, Wilbon, the pioneering sports journalist who expanded his ESPN role in 2010, will continue to be seen and heard across a variety of platforms, particularly on ESPN's NBA coverage with key interviews and features and as a contributor to on-site coverage of the NBA Conference Finals and NBA Finals. Wilbon will also write regular columns for ESPN.com, ESPNChicago.com and TheUndefeated.com, and he will appear on other shows and platforms, including SportsCenter and ESPN Radio.

Wilbon said: "We're thankful and amazed that the great adventure of our professional lives has now reached 15 years. I love every single day of doing PTI as much now as when we started the show in 2001, having absolutely zero idea at the time of what we were doing. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the whole wide world ... except for the Cubs winning the World Series."





  [october 2016]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[11/22/24 - 10:15 AM]
Apple's Drama "Your Friends & Neighbors" Lands Early Season Two Renewal
Starring and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm, "Your Friends & Neighbors" will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 11 with two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly through Friday, May 30.

[11/22/24 - 09:01 AM]
Apple Original Films' "Fly Me to the Moon" to Premiere December 6, 2024
Since its debut in theaters worldwide, the film has received the Verified Hot certification on Rotten Tomatoes by fans.

[11/22/24 - 08:03 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "Speak No Evil" Beginning December 6
The psychological horror thriller stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, Scoot McNairy, and more!

[11/22/24 - 07:35 AM]
2024 "Emirates NBA Cup" Championship Game Exclusively on ABC and ESPN+ December 17
In addition, ESPN platforms will exclusively present a semifinal game and a quarterfinal game as part of its 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Round coverage.

[11/22/24 - 07:12 AM]
Peacock and Sky's Original Hit Drama Series "The Day of the Jackal" Scores Second Season Renewal
In the US it ranked #1 on Peacock's Top 10 TV Shows on its platform and was a Top 5 streaming original in the US for its opening weekend (according to preliminary Nielsen data).

[11/22/24 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Chef's Table" Volume 7 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Meet five world-class chefs who redefine culinary boundaries with delicious, innovative dishes honoring their diverse cultures and personal philosophies.

[11/22/24 - 05:41 AM]
"They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce" Set for January 2025 on ESPN
Airing on Friday nights/early Saturday mornings, the new personality-driven, one-hour program will take its inspiration from traditional late-night television, emphasizing a comedic approach throughout all five scheduled episodes which run in conjunction with the finale of the NFL regular season and playoffs.

[11/22/24 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "Ad Vitam" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After escaping an attempted murder, Franck Lazarev (Guillaume Canet) must find his wife Léo, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men.

[11/21/24 - 04:01 PM]
"Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die" Premieres December 10: A Battle for Supremacy Begins
In the shadows of Korea's rugby world, seven teams engage in a fierce battle of strength, strategy, and teamwork - all vying to be crowned champion.

[11/21/24 - 04:00 PM]
ABC Presents a Two-Night Special Event To Commemorate the Diamond Anniversary of "Mary Poppins"
First, "The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20," a two-hour special from ABC News Studios chock full of rarely seen footage, photos and stories from the film's living legends, airs Wednesday, November 27 on ABC and streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.

[11/21/24 - 01:32 PM]
2024 International Emmy Nominees on Hulu
Check out these Emmy-worthy international series streaming on Hulu.

[11/21/24 - 01:12 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Semifinals Is Top Program of the Night in Adults 18-49 and All Key Women Demographics
The spectacular season 33 penultimate episode grew over the previous week's 500th episode celebration in both Total Viewers (5.19 million vs. 5.13 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.75 rating vs. 0.71 rating), hitting a season high in Total Viewers.

[11/21/24 - 01:05 PM]
NBC Orders Five Additional Episodes of Its Friday Night Comedy Hit "Happy's Place"
The "Happy's Place" premiere has hit 14 million viewers across all platforms.

[11/21/24 - 12:14 PM]
NBCUniversal Syndication Studios and Believe Entertainment Group's "Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids" Is Now Available to Rent on Amazon Prime
The feature-length documentary captures the incredible true story of the dolls, leaving nothing untouched, including the fundamental dispute over who originated the idea.

[11/21/24 - 12:14 PM]
MGM+ Renews Sci-Fi Horror Series "From" for Season Four
The series is set to return to production in Nova Scotia in 2025, and premiere in 2026.