ESPN: Last News

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorCan the venerable Scripps National Spelling Bee take on the look of a Winter Olympics or “American Idol”? Its backers are about to find out.Organizers of the event, which has kept Americans trying to figure out how to connect the right letters for words ranging from “sanitarium” to “xanthosis” for nearly a century, want to add new elements to the mix that might make the contest look less like something for elementary-school students and more like “America’s Got Talent.”Actor LeVar Burton, known for his turn as the host of public television’s “Reading Rainbow,” is joining the proceedings. And producers hope to boost “the Bee” with backstage looks at contestants and a set of vignettes that give viewers a peek at how the spelling champions made their way from school competitions to the national stage.

The Boston Celtics secured a spot in the 2022 NBA Finals on Sunday with a Game 7 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. It is the first NBA Finals appearance in 12 years for Boston, which will now face the Golden State Warriors in the best-of-7 championship series beginning Thursday.

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has joined ESPN as an NBA analyst. McCollum will make his debut on ESPN2’s alternate broadcast of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors on Thursday.

Colin Kaepernick is one step closer to playing in the NFL once again following a successful workout with the Las Vegas Raiders.On May 25, the former star quarterback worked out with the west coast team for a chance to serve as a backup quarterback for Derek Carr, Sports Illustrated reported.Kaepernick said, “I know I have to find my way back in. So if I have to come in as a backup, that’s fine.”The Raiders stated that Kaepernick’s conditioning and arm strength stood out during Wednesday’s workout, but there was no word on what the next steps would be, ESPN reported.In 2016, Kaepernick who served as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback, was released at the end of the season.

The Sports Emmys held its first in-person ceremony since 2019 on Tuesday night, and NFL Live and ESPN went home with the most wins by program and network, respectively. After tying for the lead last year, the NFL Network program snapped up four trophies to top NBC Sports’ Beijing Winter Olympics coverage (three).

Al Michaels, who in March exited NBC’s flagship Sunday Night Football booth after 16 seasons to join the new Thursday Night Football franchise at Amazon, isn’t exiting his former home completely.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorAl Michaels may be leaving NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” but he’s not leaving NBC.The veteran broadcaster, who revealed in March that he planned to lead Amazon’s new streamcast of “Thursday Night Football” in the fall, is keeping a foothold at NBC Sports. Michaels will have “emeritus” status, and is expected to contribute across the NBC Sports portfolio, including, the company said, to the NFL Playoffs and the Olympics.“Revered by viewers and colleagues, Al has been the soundtrack for many of the greatest moments in sports television history,” said Pete Bevacqua, chairman of NBC Sports, in a statement.  “We are thrilled that he’s staying in the family and raising the stature of our events for years to come.” Michaels has has covered more major sports events than any sportscaster, and has, on occasion, found himself narrating history as well as a particular event.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorThis wasn’t supposed to be Joe Buck’s first assignment for ESPN.The veteran sports announcer raised eyebrows earlier this year by jumping from his longtime roost at Fox Sports to the Disney sports giant, where he and colleague Troy Aikman are set to host “Monday Night Football.” On Thursday afternoon, however, Buck was doing something completely different. Here he was, sitting alongside golf analyst Michael Collins on ESPN2, watching Tiger Woods on the green at the 2022 PGA Championship and talking to baseball great Ken Griffey Jr.

ESPN is reporting that the NBA playoffs are back for China’s TV viewers after a long banishment over controvesial political statements by an executive.

The Super Bowl-winning 2000 Baltimore Ravens were among the NFL’s greatest defensive teams ever, and now the team is getting 30 for 30 treatment. ESPN Films has kicked off production on a documentary on the squad led by future Hall of Famers Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson and Ed Reed.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorMalika Andrews is capping off a quick journey that has taken her from the sidelines of NBA games to a central seat at many of its big events.The sportscaster is taking over the host duties of ESPN’s NBA Draft, succeeding Rece Davis, who led the broadcast for more than a decade. In doing so, Andrews cements her status as one of ESPN’s mainstay journalists, having been awarded hosting duties on “NBA Today” in 2021.The June 23 Draft broadcast, emanating from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, will top off Andrews’ busy schedule in weeks ahead. She will also host the NBA Draft Lottery telecast this evening at 8 p.m.

NBC Sports said Thursday that Maria Taylor will be the new host of Football Night in America, NBC’s weekly studio show that leads into the network’s Sunday Night Football.

While the idea of ESPN going “over the top” as a stand-alone streaming offering has been bruited about for years, Disney CEO Bob Chapek enthused about the scenario and describe it as an inevitability during the company’s quarterly earnings call.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorAll it took for Lydia Murphy-Stephans to start trying to solve one of the greatest problems confronting the sports industry was a plate of hot wings.While watching an NBA Finals game in 2018, she left her living room to get the snacks ready in the kitchen – and set about a task that she felt should have been a lot simpler: trying to stream the match on her iPad.“The game was on ABC, so I clicked on the ABC app and it was black. So I went to Google to the search for ‘Watch NBA Finals.’ My iPad had 200 million hits.

Marie Claire, opened up about life in a post- world. As one of the stars of the most-quotable movie on the planet, it's not super surprising that some of her most were said back to her in real life when she was recognized in public—which, she adds, didn't happen too often. (Cut to me pointing to my invisible mouse ear headband: "I'm a mouse, duh.")When she was recognized for her role in the iconic 2004 flick, however, she says it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

Finding his way. Tom Brady may have football down to a science, but being a dad sometimes poses challenges.

Ed O’Neill is set to star opposite Jacki Weaver and Laurence Fishburne in The Sterling Affairs. The Modern Family alum will play the title role in FX’s six-episode limited series about the downfall of Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling amid the team’s drive to win a championship under coach Doc Rivers.

Ronald Araujo has admitted he 'always wanted to stay' at Barcelona despite links to Manchester United.

SportsCenter co-anchor Sage Steele has sued ESPN and corporate parent The Walt Disney Co. for allegedly violating both her contract and her free speech rights, according to multiple reports.

ESPN, which already airs hundreds of college softball and women’s lacrosse games each spring, is set to become a destination for the pro versions of those sports as well.

TV fans preferred whooping to hooping early on Friday night. But that old crime story standby, the “Damsel in Distress,” also brought in the eyeballs later in the evening.