Sports Media’s Reality TV Pivot

The way sports are discussed is shifting, prioritizing access over nuance. A change reminiscent of the one TV shows underwent two decades ago

After twenty-three years on air, ESPN’s trivia debate show Around the Horn was cancelled. It was a show that many sports fans in my age bracket (late 30s) grew up watching for many years that, alongside Pardon the Interruption, were appointment viewing. In the final episode, host Tony Reali brought in some of the journalists that were on the panel for years for one final goodbye.

Tim Cowlishaw, a columnist for the Dallas Morning News and frequent Around the Horn panelist, made some pointed comments towards ESPN in his final appearance on the show. Cowlishaw eluded that ESPN was moving towards “hiring athletes instead of journalists”, which is a true statement as we have seen the network bring on the likes of Shannon Sharpe, Cam Newton, and Udonis Haslem to analyze games this past year.

It’s not just ESPN that is doing this. Across sports media, player-run podcasts and analysis have started to replace traditional journalism — with many consumers preferring tales from the locker room as opposed to stories told from writers. This pivot in sensibilities is similar to a sea change that we saw twenty years ago in the television space during the rise of reality TV shows. Sports media in 2025 is entering…