Tony Reali has been a stalwart of ESPN’s weekly programming lineup for more than two decades, serving as the host of Around the Horn. Reali began his televised ESPN career as the “stat boy” of Pardon the Interruption, before graduating into the hosting chair that was left vacant after the departure of Max Kellerman.
But now, with Around the Horn set to air its last episode on Friday, Reali is in somewhat uncharted waters. And while he’s clearly bummed about the end of the show that made him a regular in the homes of sports fans across the country, he’s also excited for what comes next.
Speaking as a guest on The Dan Patrick Show on Monday, Reali laid out several potential plans for his next gig.
Reali explained that he is under contract with ESPN through the end of August, at which point he is ready to talk to those inside and outside of the worldwide leader about what his next job might be.
“I had done Good Morning America as a correspondent for some years. It was four years in total. It wasn’t exactly where I thought it was going, and I think they would say the same of me, but it was a very fruitful experience and [educational] in that way,” Reali said.
“I have now, Google Documents full of gameshows, kids shows, just because I wanted to stretch my personality out a bit. But you know, same type of fare that I would love to make in TV and sports.”
"Around The Horn" host @TonyReali breaks down how he found out about the show ending, and reflects on the show's 23-year run. pic.twitter.com/3ASjRWpoJK
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) May 19, 2025
While Reali’s transition from hosting a mostly fake game show to a real one is an easy one to imagine him excelling him, as is his potential jump to children’s television, his best fit—and the job he wants the most—might once again involve him playing maestro for an orchestra of camera feeds.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina earlier this year, Reali described his adoration for wraparound shows like NFL RedZone.
“You tell me in any way, any sports, stick RedZone as a name on any type of sport or programming and I’m like, 'Wow, that’s the type of hosting that serves my sports muscles,'" Reali said.
Given the rumors of current RedZone host Scott Hanson’s potential jump to NBC, Reali made clear his desire to jump into the seat if the opportunity arose.
“Oh my goodness. Come on,” Reali told Traina. “Do you watch RedZone? It’s the best. That is a jewel of television. That’s one of the best jobs in TV. Absolutely.”
Before Reali gets too wrapped up in his next job, he still has four shows left of Around the Horn get through.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tony Reali Has Some Interesting Ideas for His Next Gig After ‘Around the Horn’.