ESPN’s L.A.-based ‘SportsCenter’ is leaving and heading east

by

ESPN’s “SportsCenter” is leaving L.A.

Disney’s main sports highlights show from ESPN’s Los Angeles studio, situated close to the Crypto.com Arena, is set to air its final episode in May.

ESPN will carry on airing “SportsCenter” during late nights from their headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. Meanwhile, ESPN’s soccer coverage produced in Los Angeles will be relocated to Bristol as well.

The company cited “current business needs” as the reason for the move.

ESPN’s NBA studio shows will continue to air out of the Los Angeles site.

Hollywood Inc.

In the evenings, Van Pelt’s program serves as ESPN’s talk show following major live broadcasts. Audience members tune in primarily for the interviews, but often find themselves captivated by ‘Bad Beats.’

For the team of 35 staff members who contribute to the L.A. “SportsCenter”, there’s an opportunity to relocate eastward to continue their work on the show, which is now hosted by Linda Cohn and Stan Varrett. It’s important to note that the Los Angeles Production Center employs a total of 229 people.

In 2009, the late-night version of “SportsCenter,” based in Los Angeles, began broadcasting, typically airing following Scott Van Pelt’s segment on the show.

Initially, “SportsCenter” stood out as the go-to option for people seeking sports scores and recaps; however, it now faces competition from continuous online coverage that’s readily accessible.

ESPN has made significant commitments to securing broadcast rights for live sports, such as signing a contract lasting 11 years to continue airing NBA games.

The business has additionally invested extra funds into its talk shows centered around opinions, like “First Take” featuring Stephen A. Smith, who just agreed to a fresh contract said to be worth approximately $20 million per year.

ESPN is still under constant strain due to the rise of cord-cutting, a trend that decreases the income they receive from traditional pay-TV subscriptions.

This year, ESPN is planning to launch a service that enables consumers to stream their channels directly, without the need for cable or satellite television subscriptions.

Read More

2025-03-27 20:31