ESPN Sets Two PTI Episodes for Thursday’s 25th Anniversary

ESPN will mark the 25th anniversary of Pardon the Interruption with consecutive half-hour episodes Thursday, October 22. Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will host an anniversary special at 3 p.m. MDT, followed by the regular daily edition at 3:30 p.m.

The schedule was announced October 15. The show debuted October 22, 2001, and ESPN says more than 5,500 episodes have aired. Both original hosts remain in place, having signed new multiyear ESPN agreements in 2025.

In an interview published Wednesday by ESPN, coordinating producer Matt Kelliher described the hosts’ different preparation routines and credited their enduring relationship. Kelliher has worked on the program throughout its 25 years, after joining ESPN in 1995.

The program grew out of the kind of sports arguments Kornheiser and Wilbon had as Washington Post columnists. It is produced at the ABC News Bureau in Washington by Rydholm Projects. ESPN also distributes a shortened daily version on Disney+ and an audio podcast.