ESPN Page 1 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
U.S. Open serves ESPN largest opening-day audience ever
ESPN's coverage of Sunday's first-round action at the U.S. Open averaged 914,000 viewers with a peak of 1.3 million across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, marking the tournament's largest opening-day audience in the network's history.,Viewership was up 13% from last year on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. ABC averaged 1....
ESPN's 'College GameDay' puts Lane Kiffin, LSU in focus in early weeks
The 40th season of ESPN's "College GameDay" will begin with a bang, with the show spotlighting one of college football's most talked-about coaches, Lane Kiffin, twice in the first three weeks of play.,"College GameDay" will kick off Sept. 5 with its 500th show on the road, this time in Baton Rouge, ...
Pat McAfee adds 'Monday Night Countdown' to ESPN gigs
Pat McAfee is expanding his role at ESPN and joining the cast of "Monday Night Countdown" this NFL season, the network announced Wednesday.,McAfee and fellow newcomer Jason McCourty are joining host Scott Van Pelt and returning analysts Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears. The "Monday Night Football" preg...
ESPN founder, 'visionary' Bill Rasmussen dies at 93
Bill Rasmussen, the visionary founder of ESPN who brought 24-hour sports coverage to the world in 1979, died on Tuesday at the age of 93.,He passed away at his home in Florida from the effects of Parkinson's disease, ESPN announced on social media.,"Bill was a remarkable man -- a visionary and an in...
Report: Troy Aikman faces Brady-like restrictions due to Miami involvement
Troy Aikman, who began working with the Miami Dolphins in an advisory role this year, will face similar restrictions around the league in his broadcast role as Tom Brady does as a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.,The news was first reported Friday by Front Office Sports, which received a written...
Report: Karl Ravech not quite finished at ESPN
Longtime anchor and play-by-play announcer Karl Ravech, laid off 10 days ago by ESPN, is not quite finished with the network.,Viewers of ESPN's coverage of the game between the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals on Thursday night heard Ravech on the call. And The Athletic reported that Ravech s...
ESPN to stream women's baseball starting Saturday
ESPN announced a media rights agreement Thursday to stream this season's Women's Pro Baseball League games.,The WBPL's inaugural regular season starts Saturday and runs through Sept. 6, followed by the best-of-three semifinals and best-of-five championship series.,Four teams are participating: New Y...
ESPN, LeBron James finalizing 'Last Dance'-style documentary
ESPN and LeBron James are finalizing a deal to chronicle the NBA superstar's time with the Philadelphia 76ers in a behind-the-scenes documentary, The Athletic reported Thursday.,A source said the talks are at the "1-yard line," with the project being similar to "The Last Dance" series featuring Mich...
Reports: Karl Ravech, Tom Pelissero among ESPN cuts
Longtime baseball broadcaster Karl Ravech and NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero are among the ESPN employees being laid off in a wave of cuts, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.,These layoffs are linked to ESPN's acquisition of NFL Network, according to an internal memo from ESPN chairm...
Report: NFL analyst Ryan Clark laid off by ESPN
In the first of another round of layoffs at ESPN, the network parted ways with NFL analyst and former NFL standout Ryan Clark on Monday.,The move occurred as Clark, who has been with ESPN for 11 years, was on the air during "NFL Live." Sources told The Athletic that Clark was told of the decision du...
ESPN sees 24% rise in MCWS viewership, third most on record
ESPN's coverage of the 2026 College World Series earned the third-highest viewership in CWS annals, the network announced Thursday.,Oklahoma's 13-2 Game 3 win over North Carolina on Monday night to claim the championship averaged 2.5 million viewers and peaked at 3 million. It was the most-watched c...
Linda Cohn to retire from ESPN after 34 years, 5,000+ ‘SportsCenters’
Linda Cohn, ESPN's longest-tenured "SportsCenter" anchor, will retire on June 30, the network announced Monday.,Cohn, 66, has anchored more editions of "SportsCenter" than anyone in ESPN history. She was honored in 2016 for her 5,000th edition of the network's signature show.,Her final appearances w...
Why Stephen A. and Skip Bayless Are Reuniting on First Take
Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless reunite on ESPN’s First Take for a special one-time episode....
Report: ESPN, Ian Rapoport finalizing long-term contract
ESPN is finalizing a long-term detail to retain NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, Front Office Sports reported on Wednesday.,Rapoport, 46, has been breaking stories since 2012 at NFL Network, which was acquired earlier this year by ESPN in an equity deal with the NFL.,Keeping Rapoport in the fold g...
Dick Vitale, battling melanoma, plans to 'win another battle'
Dick Vitale will soon begin immunotherapy to treat melanoma in his lung and liver cavity, the legendary ESPN college basketball analyst announced on Monday.,It's the latest in a series of health challenges for Vitale, 86.,"I've beaten melanoma. I've beaten lymphoma. I've beaten vocal cord cancer. I'...
Dick Vitale announces 'abnormalities' discovered during latest scans
Legendary broadcaster Dick Vitale announced Wednesday that "some abnormalities" were discovered after the 86-year-old underwent a series of scans last week. He is scheduled for a biopsy on Friday.,"Like countless others, each time I go for any kind of test I am a nervous wreck," Vitale, who has been...
Andy Roddick joining ESPN's Wimbledon, U.S. Open coverage
Andy Roddick signed a multi-year deal with ESPN to analyze Wimbledon and the U.S. Open as a match and studio commentator, the network announced Monday.,He will debut on air shortly before Wimbledon starts in late June.,Roddick, 43, reached three Wimbledon finals during his Hall of Fame tennis career...
ESPN replacing 'Sunday Night Baseball' with WNBA, NWSL games
With "Sunday Night Baseball" moving to NBC this season, ESPN revealed Thursday it has elected to fill its premium Sunday slot with WNBA and NWSL games and ancillary coverage.,"Women's Sports Sundays" will debut in prime time this summer. ESPN said 12 live games and accompanying studio segments will ...
ESPN takes over MLB.tv; in-market streaming available to 20 teams
ESPN officially took control of Major League Baseball's out-of-market streaming service, MLB.tv, on Tuesday in a key component of the two sides' reworked media rights deal.,Additionally, the league made in-market streaming subscriptions available Tuesday for 20 of its 30 clubs via the MLB App.,In No...
Government OKs ESPN's blockbuster deal for NFL Network from league
Government regulators approved ESPN's acquisition of NFL Network, linear rights to the NFL RedZone Channel and other league media assets in exchange for a 10% equity stake in ESPN, the NFL and ESPN announced late Saturday night.,The blockbuster deal was formally announced last August pending reviews...