Longtime ESPN employee and "Around the Horn" guest Sarah Spain has an interesting theory for the show being canceled.

For his final goodbye, Cowlishaw took a parting shot at his network for butting out Around the Horn as it continues to favor shows with former athletes instead of reporters, via Awful Announcing. Tim Cowlishaw with some pointed words toward ESPN in his final Face Time on 'Around the Horn': pic.twitter.com/qyMSXZI7uG

It’s difficult to accept that it’s going to be gone. After 23 years and almost 5,000 episodes, Around the Horn, ESPN’s daily studio debate show will be no more, signing off for the final time on Friday evening after being cancelled by the network.

Around the Horn, launched on November 4, 2002, and hosted by Tony Reali since 2004, concluded after 4,953 episodes. The show, known for its lively debates among journalists like Woody Paige, Mina Kimes, and Bill Plaschke, was canceled as ESPN seeks to ‘modernize’ its programming, per The Hollywood Reporter.

As "Around the Horn" airs its finale this week, The Athletic's Andrew Marchand examines its 23-year run and legacy.

Friday will mark the final episode of a longtime ESPN staple, as "Around the Horn" will be off the airwaves for good after roughly two decades of action. Jay Mariotti, who was a regular on the show until his domestic violence arrest in 2010,

Around The Horn signs off for good on Friday. For the first time since 2002, ESPN must decide how to fill the 5 p.m. ET slot. ESPN cancelled the beloved sports debate/game show without securing a replacement.