Rich Eisen moving his show to ESPN in surprise reunion

Rich Eisen is taking “The Rich Eisen Show” from The Roku Channel to ESPN nearly two decades after he left the network in 2003, The Athletic reported on Monday.Eisen’s program, which runs from noon to 3 p.m.ET, will live in ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service, launching this fall, the report said.The show reportedly will be licensed by ESPN and Eisen, 55, is expected to maintain ownership and editorial control — similar to the network’s deal with Pat McAfee, who has significant control over “The Pat McAfee Show.” It is said to be viewed as “an anchor” for the network, and a complement to McAfee’s show, which airs daily at the same time.Eisen’s program will also be featured on ESPN+, the network’s streaming-only option, and Disney+.There is a “strong possibility” Eisen’s show could land on ESPN Radio, per the report.However, Eisen will not be on ESPN’s linear networks, which include ESPN2 and ESPNews.

The terms of the reported deal are unknown at this time.Eisen was part of ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage last month.

In 2003, Eisen left ESPN for a prominent role with NFL Network across multiple shows.His show aired on NBC Sports Network and Peacock before moving to Roku in 2022.Eisen will remain the featured host on NFL Network’s “GameDay” and its draft coverage, according to The Athletic, which said he will also call select regular-season games for the network.ESPN reportedly tried to recruit Colin Cowherd to its direct-to-consumer offering, which launches this fall, during a meeting with Disney chairman Jimmy Pitaro, but he opted to stay at Fox Sports and his podcast network, The Volume.

ESPN declined to comment to The Athletic....