It’s no exaggeration to say Pat McAfee reinvented the sports media business almost singlehandedly, but he’s not stopping now.
The ESPN commentator and WWE announcer will debut his “Big Night Aht” concept in Pittsburgh, his hometown, on Wednesday night. McAfee is billing the sold-out event, hosted at the nearly-20,000 seat PPG Paints Arena downtown, as a “variety show” in the vein of The Dean Martin Show, which McAfee grew up watching with his grandmother.
McAfee explained his big dreams for the event in a recent appearance on Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.
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“This is a ‘I have to find out if it’s possible or not’ show,” McAfee said. “I’ve been thinking about this for years.”
The host of The Pat McAfee Show, which ESPN licenses for eight figures annually, wants “Big Night Aht” to bring people together for music, comedy, entertainment and sports. And the emphasis is on “Big.”
McAfee believes there is still space for those old-fashioned variety shows, and he believes he can pull it off on a massive scale, live in a city like Pittsburgh, and perhaps across the country.
“I remember there was a variety show concept, where all the big stars came to do a show, just to do a show,” McAfee said of the early television days in the 1960s and 70s. “And I remember it was talked about as, you hear about these acts but you don’t really get to experience them. And nowadays, I think the award shows were supposed to be the variety shows. I think they became the gathering of talent, where people are going to entertain. And for one reason or another, whether it’s the business side, the agent side, the platform side, there’s so many different people working against people kind of coming together.”
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“Big Night Aht” begins at 8 p.m. ET and will be livestreamed on McAfee’s YouTube, X and TikTok feeds. McAfee also announced on PMS recently that Hulu will air video of the full event on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, along with behind-the-scenes footage.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
There will be a re-air Thursday, April 10th of Big Night AHT on Hulu with exclusive behind the scenes footage #PMSLivepic.twitter.com/CxpQgEzAiG
McAfee explained that he uses his side gig as a ring-side announcer on WWE Raw to learn more about in-arena production. With his connections across the worlds of sports and entertainment, McAfee is ready to try it starting Wednesday night in his hometown.
“I want people to be able to experience a show that is high-level, the tops of industries, just coming together just to entertain the s*** out of people,” McAfee said. “I’ve always wanted to do it. I thought it would be a cool thing to bring [performers] together almost, especially from different worlds that might not interact with each other a lot.”
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And as on his daily sports talk show, McAfee also plans to do big giveaways.
However, McAfee wouldn’t promise that “Big Night Aht” will turn into a countrywide touring revue. This is just an experiment — for now.
“Will there be a future one? I don’t know,” McAfee said. “I’m investing a lot of money in this … the concept in and of itself has been years, I would say. It’s an actual passion project. And also, pricey. It’s a pricey project as well. But it’s worth it, because I think we’ll be able to showcase that one of these shows could work, and that’s kind of the goal.”
P3R, the organization behind the Pittsburgh Marathon, has opened registration for one of this fall’s largest local races.
Runners can now sign up for the 10 Miler and 10K, scheduled for Nov. 8. P3R expects a record-breaking 6,000 participants at this year’s events, according to spokeswoman Kelsey Emch. The events drew more than 5,500 participants last year.
The 10 Miler course begins at Station Square and travels through the North Shore, the Strip District and Downtown, while the 10K begins on the North Shore near PNC Park and follows the 10 Miler route the rest of the way.
Both races finish on Liberty Avenue Downtown – a common ending point for P3R events.
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P3R CEO Troy Schooley said in a release that the 10 Miler and 10K have become a “signature fall tradition” for Pittsburghers of all abilities.
“Whether participants are chasing a personal best, enjoying the event with friends or taking part in the walking division, this race delivers an unforgettable experience while showcasing our city at its very best,” he said.
The 10 Miler costs around $66 per person with processing fees, and the 10K costs around $49. Discounts are available through June 9.
Those interested in participating can register on P3R’s website. Registrants receive complimentary racing bibs, branded long-sleeve shirts, and medals.
Mike Darnay is a digital producer and photojournalist at CBS Pittsburgh. Mike has also written and produced content for Vox Media and the Mon Valley Independent.
He often covers overnight breaking news, the Pittsburgh Steelers and high school sports.
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Pittsburgh Regional Transit has started to install its ReadyFare vending machines as the agency prepares to roll out its new fare payment system.
PRT said it’s working to roll out its new ReadyFare system and has started to install the new machine at some of its light-rail stations.
The new machines recently were installed at PRT’s Gateway station in Downtown Pittsburgh.
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Pittsburgh Regional Transit has begun installing new ReadyFare machines at stations throughout the agency’s system.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit
PRT said that as it prepares to roll out the new system, current ConnectCard holders will receive a card in the mail with instructions on how to request a ReadyFare card.
The new ReadyFare cards will be able to be purchased at the new machines for $1.
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PRT said that riders will be able to transfer any balances they have on a ConnectCard to the new ReadyFare cards using an online balance transfer form.
Acrisure Stadium is buzzing with excitement ahead of the back-to-back Morgan Wallen concerts. Except it’s not the fans generating all the excitement — it’s about 5 pounds of honeybees.
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The Fine Family Apiary in Monongahela said it was contacted on Wednesday about a swarm of bees clustered on the stage scaffolding. The apiary put the swarm in a “nuc box” and took them home before moving the bees into full-size equipment.
Owner Al Fine estimates the swarm weighed about 4 to 5 pounds and consisted of 12,000 to 15,000 bees. All said, it took less than two hours to get the job done.
The Fine Family Apiary in Monongahela removed about 12,000 to 15,000 bees from Acrisure Stadium.
(Photo: The Fine Family Apiary/Facebook)
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Why do bees swarm?
Swarming is how honeybees propagate, Fine explained. According to Penn State Extension, during swarming, the queen and about half the workers leave their home to establish a new nest. The bees will form a temporary cluster, hanging out while scouts search the surrounding area for a more permanent home in hollow spaces like tree cavities or, occasionally, the walls of a home.
Swarms can stick around for several hours or days until they’re ready to move, Penn State Extension says. Meanwhile, the colony left behind is temporarily without a leader until a new queen is established.
With the swarm at Acrisure Stadium removed, Morgan Wallen’s show is ready to go on. The country music megastar will bring his I’m The Problem Tour to Pittsburgh on June 5 and June 6, along with multiple acts like Brooks & Dunn and Ella Langley.
