All articles tagged with #espn
ESPN used a photo of Vikings receiver Myles Price instead of Rondale Moore during a SportsCenter segment due to mislabeled images in photo services; ESPN apologized and corrected the broadcast, illustrating how image databases can misidentify athletes in quick-turnaround production.
OutKick accuses ESPN of praising Eileen Gu's decision to ski for China as an 'All-American' choice, arguing the move was primarily motivated by money from Chinese sponsors and the CCP, citing Gu's reported $23.1 million in earnings in 2025 and portraying ESPN's piece as hypocritical and pro-China while US critics are framed as anti-American.
YouTube TV announced a Sports Skinny Bundle priced at $64.99/month (or $54.99 for the first year for new subscribers), featuring a broad slate of sports networks including ESPN groups and NBC Sports networks, while omitting MLB Network and Tennis Channel; this launch is part of a broader pricing refresh that includes additional bundles like Sports+News and an Entertainment plan, with other discounts for new subscribers.
YouTube TV plans to launch a dedicated sports-focused skinny bundle priced at $65 per month—about 22% cheaper than the base package—and will also roll out 10 other genre-specific bundles, potentially including ESPN Unlimited content alongside the usual broadcast and sports networks.
A LightShed Partners analyst predicts Disney will spin off ESPN within about 18 months as Josh D’Amaro becomes CEO, arguing separation could unlock ESPN’s value and allow investment in priorities like gaming; potential buyers or partners (e.g., Comcast) are discussed, and ESPN’s $30 billion valuation from its NFL deal is cited, though exact timing remains uncertain and Iger previously resisted such a move.
The SEC and ESPN released the 2026 college baseball TV schedule, confirming eight Tennessee regular-season games televised on ESPN networks (four of them in Knoxville) with the rest streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. Tennessee also has three games in Arlington (Amegy Bank College Baseball Series) streamed via FloCollege. Four wildcard games during the final weekend (May 14–16) will air on SEC Network, and all 15 SEC Tournament games will be televised (championship on ABC). Notable early dates include 3/14 at Georgia (5 p.m. ET, SEC Network), 3/27 at Vanderbilt (8 p.m. ET, ESPNU), 3/28 at Vanderbilt (2 p.m., SEC Network), 3/29 at Vanderbilt (12 p.m., ESPN2), 4/3 vs LSU (5:30 p.m., SEC Network), 4/4 vs LSU (6 p.m., ESPN2), 4/23 vs Alabama (7 p.m., ESPN2), and 5/10 vs Texas (12 p.m., ESPN2).
ESPN will broadcast the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl Games—a 7-on-7 flag football event—live on Feb. 3 during Super Bowl Week in San Francisco, across ESPN networks, the ESPN App, Disney XD, ESPN Deportes, and NFL+. The broadcast will include live interviews with Pro Football Hall of Famers, real-time conversations with top players, and mic’d up moments, plus the NFL FLAG High School Girls Showcase airing during Postseason NFL Countdown; Emma Rascoe of Webster Schroeder High School is among the 32 participants, nominated by the Buffalo Bills.
ESPN's 11-person panel unanimously predicts the Seattle Seahawks will win the Super Bowl over a rejuvenated New England Patriots, arguing Seattle's elite defense and versatile offense will overwhelm Drake Maye-led New England. The article notes the Patriots are riding a 17-3 run under coach Mike Vrabel, with Maye at quarterback and a strong defense, and suggests they could defy the pundits and win a seventh Lombardi Trophy if they pull off the upset.
ESPN has completed a deal to acquire NFL Network and RedZone rights after regulatory clearance, a move that also gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney-owned ESPN, signaling a major shift in U.S. sports media.
The NFL gains four games back from its ESPN-owned slate due to an equity deal, giving the league four extra games next season to sell to any broadcaster, with potential buyers including streamers (e.g., Peacock, Netflix, YouTube, Apple TV) or traditional networks, and the ultimate value depending on whether the games are exclusive or semi-exclusive and possibly influencing upcoming media-rights negotiations.
ESPN’s purchase of NFL Network has been approved, with plans to keep NFL Network as a separate brand while blending top talent from both networks to create new synergies; a major change will be removing Monday Night Football doubleheaders in favor of a single MNF game per week with a scheduled lineup on NFL Network. The digest also covers NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball debut, a Black History Month post omission controversy, Marshawn Lynch on Bill Maher’s podcast, Puka Nacua’s throwback social post, and a preview of this week’s SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast with Bryan Curtis and Sal Licata.
Mike Tirico left ESPN in 2016 to join NBC as the heir to Costas and Michaels, a calculated risk that upended the sports‑television landscape and helped spark blockbuster NFL deals (Romo, Buck/Aikman, Brady) while securing Tirico's dual dynasty of Super Bowl play‑by‑play and Olympic hosting, a decision he calls transformative and ultimately successful.
Disney boss Bob Iger avoided questions about the ESPN–NFL deal after closing ESPN’s NFL Network equity (10% of ESPN) as a YouTube TV blackout hit Disney with a $110 million cost and squeezed sports margins to under 4% on $4.9 billion in revenue; Disney trumpeted ESPN app momentum and ‘ESPN Unlimited’ while succession buzz centers on Josh D’Amaro or Dana Walden, and a contrast emerges with Peacock’s losses as the streaming unit stabilizes. The NFL’s 2030 opt-out keeps renewal talks in play and underscores ongoing competition for league content.
Disney’s ESPN is valued at about $30 billion after a megadeal that gives Disney a majority stake in ESPN (roughly 72%) while the NFL holds a 10% stake and options to adjust ownership; Disney will fully own NFL Network and integrate RedZone into ESPN’s lineup, with rights and branding tied to ESPN streaming and fantasy products. The NFL can reacquire its stake after July 2034 and may buy up to an additional 4% later. Disney’s Q1 results show ESPN revenue of about $4.9 billion and operating income of $191 million, underscoring continued pay-TV headwinds highlighted by a recent blackout on YouTube TV.
Disney topped Wall Street expectations in fiscal Q1 with revenue of $26 billion, segment operating income of $4.6 billion and adjusted EPS of $1.63, buoyed by a strong film slate and streaming growth; CEO Bob Iger said he’s incredibly proud of the progress and signaled a near-term succession as his contract nears expiration. The company reaffirmed full-year guidance despite higher costs and international headwinds, highlighted ESPN’s NFL stake and expanding experiences, and outlined a deal with OpenAI’s Sora to add short-form, user-generated video content to Disney+, while noting a YouTube TV blackout weighed on sports income.