After more than two decades away from the network where he became a household name, Rich Eisen is officially returning to ESPN – and his comeback could shake up the daytime lineup.
Eisen, a former staple of SportsCenter and now host of The Rich Eisen Show, will reportedly be featured on ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming platform.
His daily program is set to debut this fall and air live from noon to 3 p.m. ET, a time slot that raised eyebrows from one of ESPN’s current stars – Pat McAfee.
“Learned Rich Eisen’s coming back to ESPN,” McAfee said on his ultra-popular show. “I’m a big fan of Rich. Rich has been very nice to me, very cool to me. He’s going live, noon to 3 Eastern.”
McAfee, whose own show currently runs during the same hours on ESPN platforms, admitted he found the timing curious.
“That feels very interesting,” he admitted. “But also, love Rich Eisen, so I am cool with whatever.
“Noon-to-3 is fascinating, for sure. Is that a message? I don’t know. But yeah, cool, whatever. But nonetheless, we’re happy Rich is back.”
At this stage, Eisen’s show is expected to be exclusive to the streaming service, not directly simulcast on ESPN’s main channel alongside McAfee’s.
However, McAfee implied he believes both programs will end up on the same platform.
Whether or not that creates a direct competition remains to be seen, but McAfee didn’t shy away from the possibility of going head-to-head with another marquee name.
“I respect it,” he said. “Just like the ‘NFL Live’ crew on free agency frenzy day. Hey, counterprogram us, it’s all good. We like it. That’s how we like it. And we have responses as well.”
McAfee’s remarks suggest there’s no personal tension between the two hosts – only awareness of a shifting sports media landscape.
While some want to drum up drama between the two popular personalities, the fact of the matter is they seem to get along very well by all accounts.
But as we know, competition brings out the best in everyone.
What are your thoughts on Eisen returning to ESPN? … What do you make of McAfee’s response to the news???
