EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Veteran sportscaster Rich Eisen is making a return to ESPN in a newly expanded role that will see his eponymous program take over the network’s national radio lineup.
Starting Tuesday, Sept. 2, The Rich Eisen Show, which is recorded in El Segundo, Calif., will air weekdays from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern on ESPN Radio. The show already streams on ESPN+ and Disney+, with distribution handled by Westwood One.
Eisen is rejoining ESPN as part of the network’s broader strategy tied to the launch of its direct-to-consumer streaming service this fall. His return marks a full-circle moment as he first left ESPN in 2003 to become one of the inaugural on-air talents at NFL Network and has since hosted NFL pregame and draft coverage.
ESPN Radio’s current noon–3 p.m. lineup—hosted by Joe Fortenbaugh and Q Myers—will shift roles, with Fortenbaugh moving toward television and betting content, and Myers, who is the program director at ESPN Las Vegas and covers the Las Vegas Raiders, retaining a presence as host of the network’s late-night show.
The Rich Eisen Show will stand alongside ESPN’s other high-profile midday offerings—most notably The Pat McAfee Show, which airs during the same slot across ESPN television and digital platforms. In a parallel move, SiriusXM is launching a show featuring Stephen A. Smith in that timeframe.
Eisen will continue his duties at NFL Network, anchoring programs such as NFL GameDay Morning, covering the NFL Draft and select regular-season matchups. He also retains full ownership and editorial control of his show—mirroring the arrangement veteran host Pat McAfee has with ESPN.
Beyond radio and streaming, the deal includes expansion of Eisen’s podcast network onto ESPN platforms. A new podcast series with former SportsCenter colleagues from Eisen’s 1996–2003 tenure is also reportedly in the pipeline.