Making time in the middle of multiple league-shifting investigations on his podcast, Pablo Torre made time for a conversation this week with his Meadowlark Media boss Dan Le Batard and ESPN legend Michael Wilbon about the trio’s intertwining careers.
After Wilbon laughed at his lo-tech setup for the Pablo Torre Finds Out interview, Le Batard cut in with a new nugget on the future of Pardon the Interruption. Apparently, Wilbon’s contract expires this summer.
“In the middle of PTI negotiations that are heating up,” Le Batard teased.
“No,” Wilbon interjected.
“Don’t be bashful, big boy,” Le Batard said.
“There’s no middle of anything that I know of,” Wilbon said back.
“That contract expires next month, and they ain’t losing no Wilbon and (PTI cohost Tony) Kornheiser,” Le Batard chortled. “You know that!”
The last we learned about contracts for either Wilbon or Kornheiser was in 2016, when ESPN announced extensions for both. Throughout this year, PTI has been in the rumor mill. Some reports suggested that executives in Bristol wanted to expand PTI to an hour to replace the recently canceled Around the Horn.
But more recently, ESPN management appears to be leaning toward a new show for Peter Schrager instead.
The going expectation is that Wilbon and Kornheiser will be allowed to host PTI and work at the Worldwide Leader for as long as they want. To this day, PTI remains one of the most-watched daytime shows in all of television.
Rather than adding fuel to the fire around Le Batard’s leak, Wilbon joked it off.
“Sh*t, I might just go to Chicago and do something wildcard,” he said. “I don’t know.”
Wilbon’s presence on ESPN airwaves has subtly shifted in 2025. He stepped back from NBA coverage after years as a panelist on NBA Countdown and the network’s marquee NBA halftime show. But during the NBA playoffs, Wilbon joined Get Up from New York City for multiple viral appearances.
At 66 and 77 respectively, Wilbon and Kornheiser control their own destiny. They have enjoyed multiple legendary careers in print and television.
Whatever the duo decides with ESPN, it may be with a vision of the end in mind.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.