ESPN Channel
Founded: September, 1979
Parent Company: ESPN, Inc.
Tagline: The Worldwide Leader in Sports
Website: espn.com
The most influential sports network on the planet, ESPN expertly mixes news, sporting events and commentary, all in a highly-polished package. Primarily based in Bristol, Commecticut, ESPN is available to over 90% of U.S. households with cable and in well over 200 countries. Originally known for its flagship Sportscenter show and live sporting events, ESPN has since branched out into more commentary-driven programming. Of course, that tends to come with more potential scrutiny and they've had their share over the past few years. Nevertheless, long-standing shows like Pardon the Interruption, Around the Horn, Outside the Lines and 30 for 30 continue to be extremely popular with their audience.
When it comes to live programming, events like Monday Night Football, UFC, March Madness, College (football and basketball) Gameday and more, keep ESPN right on the pulse of sports coverage and fandom. Owned by ABC and the Walt Disney Co, that leverage really let ESPN negotiate favorable programming deals in the past and more recently, launch collaborative college channels such as: SEC Network, ACC Network, Longhorn Network, Big 12 Network and more. Toss in their extremely popular sister channels (ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, etc) and it's an impressive family of channels. In 2022, the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket (currently with DIRECTV) comes up for grabs and ESPN/ABC should be one of the main contenders. It'd be a huge coup for ESPN but will come at a ridiculously steep price. Either way, ESPN will continue to shape the landscape of sports coverage for years and decades to come.
ESPN Programming & Shows
Original Series: Around the Horn, SportsCenter, E:60, First Take, Outside the Lines, Pardon the Interruption, UFC, Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Countdown, This Just In, Get Up, etc.
Reruns: re-broadcasts of all their original shows
