ESPN has canceled the linear edition of its journalism-driven news program Outside the Lines.
While the weekly TV series is sunsetting, the Saturday morning news program will continue on as a digital series (including on ESPN’s YouTube channel), and with branded segments on ESPN’s flagship studio show SportsCenter seven days per week. Jeremy Schaap, the anchor of Otl since 2020, will continue to lead the segments.
Sports Business Journal‘s John Ourand first reported the news. No jobs are expected to be lost with the change.
Launched in 1990 as a monthly program, Otl eventually shifted to a daily format. In 2020 the program returned to a weekly cadence on Saturday mornings during the NFL offseason. Anchored by Bob Ley from its inception until his retirement in 2019, the program was known for its tough reporting on issues like the NFL’s concussion crisis, and the USA gymnastics sex abuse scandal.
With...
While the weekly TV series is sunsetting, the Saturday morning news program will continue on as a digital series (including on ESPN’s YouTube channel), and with branded segments on ESPN’s flagship studio show SportsCenter seven days per week. Jeremy Schaap, the anchor of Otl since 2020, will continue to lead the segments.
Sports Business Journal‘s John Ourand first reported the news. No jobs are expected to be lost with the change.
Launched in 1990 as a monthly program, Otl eventually shifted to a daily format. In 2020 the program returned to a weekly cadence on Saturday mornings during the NFL offseason. Anchored by Bob Ley from its inception until his retirement in 2019, the program was known for its tough reporting on issues like the NFL’s concussion crisis, and the USA gymnastics sex abuse scandal.
With...
- 2/3/2023
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bob Ley, the former longtime ESPN host and the highly respected face of its investigative journalism group, has laid into the cable channel over its recent mass-layoffs.
“Trying to remain objective and unemotional as I learn of the @espn team members laid off today. Not possible,” Ley tweeted on Thursday. “Not as I see countless decades of journalistic experience, and expertise jettisoned. Just when we need it most. Enjoy the Dis stock price and your NFL football.”
Dis is the ticker symbol for ESPN’s parent The Walt Disney Company. Shares in Disney rose about $2 apiece on Thursday.
ESPN is the home of pricey property “Monday Night Football.” Disney is also expected to make a play for TV’s top-rated program, “Sunday Night Football,” when NBC’s rights expire. Should The Walt Disney Company acquire those rights, it is likely the primetime Sunday football would air on broadcast network ABC and not ESPN.
“Trying to remain objective and unemotional as I learn of the @espn team members laid off today. Not possible,” Ley tweeted on Thursday. “Not as I see countless decades of journalistic experience, and expertise jettisoned. Just when we need it most. Enjoy the Dis stock price and your NFL football.”
Dis is the ticker symbol for ESPN’s parent The Walt Disney Company. Shares in Disney rose about $2 apiece on Thursday.
ESPN is the home of pricey property “Monday Night Football.” Disney is also expected to make a play for TV’s top-rated program, “Sunday Night Football,” when NBC’s rights expire. Should The Walt Disney Company acquire those rights, it is likely the primetime Sunday football would air on broadcast network ABC and not ESPN.
- 11/6/2020
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
ESPN’s long-running investigative journalism series “Outside the Lines” is coming to an end as a daily, half-hour series, ESPN said on Tuesday. Instead, “Otl” will become an hourlong Saturday series.
In addition, the brand and its reporters will contribute segments to other daily ESPN shows across various platforms, like the main cable channel’s “SportsCenter.” Plus, “Outside the Lines” will get a few primetime specials.
There will be no job cuts as a result of the changes, a spokesman for the show tells TheWrap.
Also Read: ESPN Anchor Bob Ley to Retire After 40 Years
“‘Outside the Lines’ remains the quintessential journalism brand of ESPN and this approach better positions it for deeper dives into important topics during the Saturday edition; daily, in-the-moment perspective of breaking news; and more seamless inclusion into ‘SportsCenter,'” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, event and studio production, and executive editor. “Otl’s...
In addition, the brand and its reporters will contribute segments to other daily ESPN shows across various platforms, like the main cable channel’s “SportsCenter.” Plus, “Outside the Lines” will get a few primetime specials.
There will be no job cuts as a result of the changes, a spokesman for the show tells TheWrap.
Also Read: ESPN Anchor Bob Ley to Retire After 40 Years
“‘Outside the Lines’ remains the quintessential journalism brand of ESPN and this approach better positions it for deeper dives into important topics during the Saturday edition; daily, in-the-moment perspective of breaking news; and more seamless inclusion into ‘SportsCenter,'” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, event and studio production, and executive editor. “Otl’s...
- 10/22/2019
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
The two-game Major League Baseball series in London Stadium between between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees on Saturday and Sunday marked the first time regular season baseball had been played in England’s capital.
But it is not going to be the last. The Mlb has already confirmed that it will be returning to London next year when the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will play June 13-14, 2020.
While many people have described last weekend’s Sox-Yankees inaugural U.K. trip as historic, ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza told TheWrap that the real history will be made when the league returns.
Also Read: Mlb London: 8 Things You Didn't See on TV During the Red Sox-Yankees UK Series
“It’s not a one-off as Major League Baseball has committed to coming back at least one more year,” Mendoza said. “The NFL has returned multiple years...
But it is not going to be the last. The Mlb has already confirmed that it will be returning to London next year when the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will play June 13-14, 2020.
While many people have described last weekend’s Sox-Yankees inaugural U.K. trip as historic, ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza told TheWrap that the real history will be made when the league returns.
Also Read: Mlb London: 8 Things You Didn't See on TV During the Red Sox-Yankees UK Series
“It’s not a one-off as Major League Baseball has committed to coming back at least one more year,” Mendoza said. “The NFL has returned multiple years...
- 7/1/2019
- by Debbie Emery
- The Wrap
After a 40-year career at ESPN, Bob Ley has announced his retirement from the network.
Ley, ESPN’s longest-tenured anchor, announced in September 2018 that he would be taking a six-month sabbatical as host of Outside the Lines. In May, he said he was extending his sabbatical indefinitely. Ley said today he will be retiring at the end of this month.
“To be clear, this is entirely my decision,” Ley wrote on Twitter. “I enjoy the best of health, and the many blessings of friends and family, and it is in that context that I’m making this change,” he said.
Ley thanked ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro and the network’s senior leadership team “for their understanding and patience over the past months.”
“Through the decades, and my innumerable experiences at ESPN, I have built many deep and fulfilling friendships. You know who you are. I hope you also know how much you mean to me.
Ley, ESPN’s longest-tenured anchor, announced in September 2018 that he would be taking a six-month sabbatical as host of Outside the Lines. In May, he said he was extending his sabbatical indefinitely. Ley said today he will be retiring at the end of this month.
“To be clear, this is entirely my decision,” Ley wrote on Twitter. “I enjoy the best of health, and the many blessings of friends and family, and it is in that context that I’m making this change,” he said.
Ley thanked ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro and the network’s senior leadership team “for their understanding and patience over the past months.”
“Through the decades, and my innumerable experiences at ESPN, I have built many deep and fulfilling friendships. You know who you are. I hope you also know how much you mean to me.
- 6/26/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Bob Ley is retiring from ESPN at the end of June, he said on Wednesday, following a remarkable 40-year run there.
The sports journalism legend joined what became the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” on its very first weekend in 1979. It was not a “leader” in anything at the time. He signed off from his last show in September.
Ley has done everything imaginable at ESPN, but in recent years focused on being the face of investigative reporting series “Outside the Lines,” and covering international soccer. Reach more about his terrific career and numerous accomplishments here.
Also Read: How ESPN's Bob Ley and Jeremy Schaap Cope With All These Bummer Sports Stories
Below is Ley’s full statement, in which he says the call to hang it up was “entirely my decision.”
Across 40 years I have enjoyed a professional journey unimaginable when I joined ESPN on its first weekend of existence...
The sports journalism legend joined what became the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” on its very first weekend in 1979. It was not a “leader” in anything at the time. He signed off from his last show in September.
Ley has done everything imaginable at ESPN, but in recent years focused on being the face of investigative reporting series “Outside the Lines,” and covering international soccer. Reach more about his terrific career and numerous accomplishments here.
Also Read: How ESPN's Bob Ley and Jeremy Schaap Cope With All These Bummer Sports Stories
Below is Ley’s full statement, in which he says the call to hang it up was “entirely my decision.”
Across 40 years I have enjoyed a professional journey unimaginable when I joined ESPN on its first weekend of existence...
- 6/26/2019
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Bob Ley, one of ESPN’s original on-air hosts and the longest-tenured anchor in the channel’s history, is retiring after 40 years with the company.
Ley has been off the air since September, when he announced he would be taking a six month sabbatical. On Wednesday, he released a statement saying that he would retire from the company at the end of this month.
“To be clear, this is entirely my decision. I enjoy the best of health, and the many blessings of friends and family, and it is in that context that I’m making this change,...
Ley has been off the air since September, when he announced he would be taking a six month sabbatical. On Wednesday, he released a statement saying that he would retire from the company at the end of this month.
“To be clear, this is entirely my decision. I enjoy the best of health, and the many blessings of friends and family, and it is in that context that I’m making this change,...
- 6/26/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Longtime ESPN host Bob Ley is indefinitely extending his leave of absence from the network and from Outside the Lines.
ESPN addressed the issue Monday in a statement to USA Today.
“Bob Ley has decided to extend his time away from Outside the Lines. We look forward to Bob’s return when he will add to his unprecedented list of accomplishments built during his nearly 40 years and counting at ESPN. Outside the Lines will continue with hosts Ryan Smith and Jeremy Schaap,” the statement said.
Ley has been with the sports net since 1979, and is its longest-serving on-air personality.
Last year he announced plans to take a six-month sabbatical. ESPN’s announcement about his indefinite extension comes as Ley’s sabbatical is nearing its end.
ESPN addressed the issue Monday in a statement to USA Today.
“Bob Ley has decided to extend his time away from Outside the Lines. We look forward to Bob’s return when he will add to his unprecedented list of accomplishments built during his nearly 40 years and counting at ESPN. Outside the Lines will continue with hosts Ryan Smith and Jeremy Schaap,” the statement said.
Ley has been with the sports net since 1979, and is its longest-serving on-air personality.
Last year he announced plans to take a six-month sabbatical. ESPN’s announcement about his indefinite extension comes as Ley’s sabbatical is nearing its end.
- 5/7/2019
- by Anita Bennett
- Deadline Film + TV
Keith Olbermann is taking on an expanded role at ESPN as part of a new deal with the network. Under the pact, Olbermann, who has contributed to various ESPN shows since January, will make additional appearances across ESPN platforms and programs in 2018.
His new duties include select studio assignments with on-site opportunities, including calling the radio play-by-play with analyst Jim Bowden for Astros at Yankees on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, at 1 Pm Et on ESPN Radio.
In addition, Olbermann will continue to develop regular features on SportsCenter and will guest anchor some 20 special editions of the 11 Pm Et SportsCenter throughout the year. He’ll take on select studio and game assignments for Major League Baseball including play-by-play for a few games as well as a handful of studio hosting responsibilities on Baseball Tonight and cut-ins/highlights within game telecasts. He’ll also be on-site at the Mlb All-Star Game, hosting...
His new duties include select studio assignments with on-site opportunities, including calling the radio play-by-play with analyst Jim Bowden for Astros at Yankees on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, at 1 Pm Et on ESPN Radio.
In addition, Olbermann will continue to develop regular features on SportsCenter and will guest anchor some 20 special editions of the 11 Pm Et SportsCenter throughout the year. He’ll take on select studio and game assignments for Major League Baseball including play-by-play for a few games as well as a handful of studio hosting responsibilities on Baseball Tonight and cut-ins/highlights within game telecasts. He’ll also be on-site at the Mlb All-Star Game, hosting...
- 5/25/2018
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
A lot has changed for David Ross since the Chicago Cubs made history by breaking their World Series curse last October — and it ain’t slowing down anytime soon. Ross, who retired last year after becoming the oldest player to get a home run in Game 7 of the Series, makes his Espn debut as an analyst for “Wednesday Night Baseball.” That means he hits the broadcast booth for the first time just two days after tangoing into the finals of “Dancing With the Stars” on Monday. Yep, that’s a big week for anyone. Also Read: How Espn's Bob Ley...
- 5/18/2017
- by Debbie Emery
- The Wrap
Espn is doubling down on two of its biggest journalism brands, ironically a few weeks after laying off 100 journalists. In a few days, the Disney-owned Worldwide Leader in Sports is re-launching “E:60” and “Outside the Lines,” which means Bob Ley and Jeremy Schaap are even busier than usual. It also means the two longterm Espn employees will actually appear on-air together for the first time ever — excluding rare cases of all-hands-on-deck breaking news moments, like when Muhammad Ali slipped into critical condition. The company’s two top reporters were gracious enough to squeeze TheWrap into their busy schedules, when we.
- 5/12/2017
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Two weeks ago, 100 on-air personalities and reporters got pink slips from sports media giant Espn. And while the jobs of Bob Ley and Jeremy Schaap, two of the longest-tenured and most respected journalists in the industry, were never in any jeopardy — but that doesn’t mean the “Outside the Lines” and “E:60” hosts didn’t feel the effect. TheWrap spoke with both Ley and Schaap exactly eight business days after the Bristol Bloodbath. Among the other topics covered — a few of which we’ll get to tomorrow — we asked those reporters where they were when the news broke, and how morale.
- 5/11/2017
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Espn said today that it is expanding the roles for on-air veterans Bob Ley and Jeremy Schaap as it boosts the profile of their respective long-running shows. The Worldwide Leader also said The Sports Reporters will bow out May 7 with a special episode after nearly 30 years on the air. Lee’s issues-oriented Outside the Lines — which he premiered in May 1990 — will get a year-round home on Espn, airing at 1 Pm Et Monday through Friday. The network’s long-serving…...
- 1/23/2017
- Deadline TV
Mike Tirico said goodbye to his Espn family one final time on Thursday, 25 years to the day that he started at the so-called Worldwide Leader in Sports. “I think 25 years is something like over 9,000 days — and every one of those days, Espn has been a part of my life,” Tirico told friend and colleague Bob Ley from Paris. “You leave a considerable legacy,” Ley offered. The man nicknamed “The General” then brought in a number of Tirico’s local colleagues. Also Read: Will Mike Tirico Replace Al Michaels at NBC? “Can I just say a quick ‘Thank You’ to all the.
- 7/1/2016
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Playbook, Inc has hired former Espn talent executive Gerry Matalon as executive vice president of talent development. “Successful representation–real representation–isn’t about volume,” Playbook founder and CEO Reed Bergman said. “It’s about depth. It’s about maximizing the opportunities for your clients not simply as athletes or niche broadcasters, but as cross-platform media professionals and on-screen talent.” Matalon, who spent 27 years at Espn, has a reputation of turning athletes and coaches into on-air talent, including Tim Tebow, Bob Knight, Herm Edwards, Jerome Bettis and Lou Holtz. Also Read: Watch Espn's Bob Ley Get Interrupted By Protestor in...
- 3/28/2016
- by Brian Flood
- The Wrap
After 37 years at Espn, veteran sportscaster Bob Ley has seen it all. Well, nearly all. Ley, 61, was broadcasting live from Havana, Cuba, Tuesday as part of the sports network’s coverage of the historic baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team. However, just moments after the “SportsCenter” studio host zoomed to Ley to get reaction to President Obama saying it was about “much more than just a baseball game,” he was photobombed by a protester. Also Read: Watch ABC News' David Muir Make a Fan's Day Before Heading to Cuba (Video) “This was about more than just,...
- 3/23/2016
- by Debbie Emery
- The Wrap
Investigative journalism has been in decline for the last quarter century, but Espn’s “Outside the Lines” has stubbornly bucked the trend. The award-winning show celebrates its 25th anniversary on Tuesday with a primetime special at 7 p.m. Et hosted by Bob Ley, who has been with the show since Day 1 and with Espn itself since the network’s Day 3. The fact that such a serious approach to sports news has survived for so long is what continues to impress fans. As Jeremy Schaap, a producer since 1993 and occasional host of the show, told TheWrap on Monday, “There are a lot.
- 7/7/2015
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Even its own film can’t save FIFA. The self-financed movie “United Passions” failed to score at the box office, generating a pathetic $607 in the U.S. on its opening weekend. The unfortunately-timed movie dramatizing the founding and history of the world governing body of soccer opened Friday in limited release in New York and nine other cities. Even soccer-mad Europeans have avoided the on-screen debacle. The film premiered at last year’s Cannes film festival, but six months after its release in Europe had made just $190,000. Also Read: Espn's Bob Ley Breaks Down FIFA Bribery Scandal, Laughs Off Viral...
- 6/9/2015
- by Debbie Emery
- The Wrap
American Pharoah won the Triple Crown on Saturday at the Belmont Stakes, something no horse has done in 37 years. Pharoah defeated second-place Frosted and third-place Keen Ice. He now enters the pantheon as the 12th Triple Crown winner, joining Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978). “It’s just an amazing thing,” jockey Victor Espinoza told NBC. “It’s just unbelievable how things worked out… He’s just an amazing horse.” Also Read: Espn's Bob Ley Breaks Down FIFA Bribery Scandal, Laughs Off Viral 'Wire'...
- 6/6/2015
- by Itay Hod
- The Wrap
As embattled soccer organization FIFA tries to figure out its future, Espn’s top journalist Bob Ley is trying to sort through the mess affecting his favorite sport. The football (soccer) aficionado has great love for “the beautiful game,” he told TheWrap, but equal disdain for the sport’s scandal-plagued leaders. He also apparently has an encyclopedic memory of HBO’s “The Wire.” Ley’s name became a trending Twitter topic on Tuesday when he dropped the following quote from “Wire” character Omar Little during his ongoing and highly-praised “SportsCenter” coverage of the FIFA scandal. “Come at the king, you best not miss,...
- 6/3/2015
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
The debate over FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s announcement that he plans to resign took an unusual turn Tuesday on Espn. During a discussion on “SportsCenter” about the corruption scandal surrounding soccer’s governing body, veteran sportscaster Bob Ley caught fans off guard by quoting Omar Little of HBO’s “The Wire.” “Come at the king, you best not miss,” Ley said in reference to Blatter’s shocking announcement that he will step down just four days after he was re-elected. Also Read: Bob Ley Signs Long-Term Contract Extension With Espn Ley’s homage to Omar, a notorious Baltimore stick-up man,...
- 6/2/2015
- by Wrap Staff
- The Wrap
Bob Ley cannot boast of being with Espn since it went on the air in 1979. No, he joined as a SportsCenter anchor three days later. Now the Worldwide Leader’s longest-serving on-air personality has inked a long-term contract to stay with the network. He’ll continue to host the Sports Emmy-winning nightly series Outside The Lines, as he has for its entire 25-year run. The New Jersey native also will continue working Espn’s soccer coverage. Last week he anchored Espn’s…...
- 6/2/2015
- Deadline TV
Journalist Bob Ley has signed a long-term contract extension to remain with Espn, the network announced Tuesday. Espn’s longest-serving broadcaster, Ley has been with the network since he joined “SportsCenter” as an anchor in 1979. He currently hosts “Outside the Lines,” which will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a primetime special set to air July 7 at 7 p.m. Et on Espn. Ley will continue to serve as host of “Outside the Lines” under the new agreement, and he will continue to serve as primary host on soccer properties, including Euro qualifiers, Euros 2016, World Cup coverage and key U.S. Men’s National.
- 6/2/2015
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
GLAAD is probably gonna have a thing or two to say about this one ...Because a big country music star just took a cheap shot at Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Gov. Chris Christie live on Espn ... and let's put it this way, he suggested there were shenanigans in the owner's box. Kinky Friedman -- a country singer/wannabe politician/author/avid cigar smoker -- just appeared on Espn's "Outside the Lines" to talk...
- 1/7/2015
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Sports fans awoke on Sunday (January 4) morning to an NFL Wild Card double-header and to the sad news that veteran Espn sportcaster and anchor Stuart Scott had died at the age of 49. Scott had been fighting cancer since 2007, continuing his work at Espn through the vast majority of his treatment, which included a 2012 remission. "Espn and everyone in the sports world have lost a true friend and a uniquely inspirational figure in Stuart Scott," stated Espn president John Skipper. "Who engages in mixed martial arts training in the midst of chemotherapy treatments? Who leaves a hospital procedure to return to the set? His energetic and unwavering devotion to his family and to his work while fighting the battle of his life left us in awe, and he leaves a void that can never be replaced." Espn also released this tribute to Scott's legacy on "SportsCenter" and on the network as a whole.
- 1/4/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
The 2014 FIFA World Cup returns to Brazil — "the tabernacle of soccer," according to Espn host Bob Ley — for the first time since 1950. The quadrennial tournament begins Thursday with the home-team playing Croatia in Sãu Paulo (June 12 at 3:30/2:30c on Espn). Espn, ESPN2 and ABC will televise all 64 games through the championship on July 13 (and all will be streamed at WatchESPN and espn3.com). Univision has Spanish-language coverage of the games, while Espn Deportes has them in Portuguese. Espn's blanket coverage includes daily installments of World Cup Tonight (times vary, most nights on ESPN2).
The U.S. gets underway on Monday, and the team is hoping to avoid déjà vu. The squad's first preliminary-round game is against....
Read More >...
The U.S. gets underway on Monday, and the team is hoping to avoid déjà vu. The squad's first preliminary-round game is against....
Read More >...
- 6/11/2014
- by Rich Sands
- TVGuide - Breaking News
After next year, everyone will actually know what number Super Bowl we're on for once. The National Football League released logos for Super Bowl 50 on Wednesday, dropping the Roman numeral regularly associated with the game. Apparently “Super Bowl L” didn't work for the NFL, and the Roman numeral was sacked. Also read: NBC Sports Programming Boss on NY-la Stanley Cup Finals: Biggest Markets Don't Mean Biggest Ratings But don't fret Latin fans: the following year, the Roman numerals will be back for Feb. 2017's Super Bowl Li in Houston. Roman numerals were first used for Super Bowl V (Jan. 1971). Also read: Espn's Bob Ley on.
- 6/4/2014
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Hopefully Bob Ley owns a soccer stadiums-worth of suits. The Espn investigative journalist was packing like a madman while he spoke with TheWrap about the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament in Brazil, his favorite assignment in an impressive career that spans the entire history of the cable giant. (Ok, so he missed the first two days of Espn's existence, but who's counting?) “Oh hell yeah, without a doubt,” Ley said, when asked if the six-week-long competition is the best of all his gigs. ”It encompasses everything: it's the sport; it's the countries involved; it's the politics.” Also read: Landon Donovan's Cut From World Cup.
- 5/30/2014
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
The popularity of the NFL, NBA, Mlb and NHL have long overshadowed that of soccer in the U.S., but as all eyes are directed toward Brazil this summer for the FIFA World Cup, many sports fans are looking for a cheat sheet to get them up to speed on what they need to know. Fear not, as The Hollywood Reporter talked with Espn's resident World Cup expert Bob Ley, who after covering soccer for 40 years and attending seven World Cups, knows all the intricacies of not only the beautiful game -- but also the tournament itself and this year's
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- 5/29/2014
- by Debbie Emery
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After covering soccer for 40 years and traveling to seven World Cups around the globe, Espn announcer Bob Ley still gets excited about the tournament, and reveals why U.S. fans are talking about it -- and will be watching it -- more than ever this year. As the host network of the 2014 FIFA World Cup when it kicks off in Brazil on June 12, Espn will air 290 hours of studio broadcasts and 64 live matches, as Ley and his team set up base on Rio de Janeiro's famous Copacabana Beach for six weeks. "It is possibly the most spectacular setting of
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- 5/29/2014
- by Debbie Emery
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Espn’s “SportsCenter” on Sunday will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in the United States with a special piece noting how sports played a role in the band’s American experience. Written and narrated by Bob Ley, the feature looks at the Beatles debut Stateside and sports-related connections, including the band’s famous meeting with Muhammad Ali and iconic Shea Stadium concert. “I vividly remember watching the Beatles’ appearance on the ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ that Sunday night in 1964, and I collected all of their records growing up,” Ley recalled. “I still have them. Long live vinyl. It’s the sound track of.
- 2/7/2014
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Since Andrey Arshavin shows up exclusively to play well at the Euro and collect a paycheck when a team like Arsenal overpays for him, it’s no surprise that the tiny Russian helped spur his nation to a quick lead over the Czech Republic. But in spite of Russia’s chances, the Czechs pulled one back, and it was a beauty. Vaclav Plasil, you are your nation's lone source of pride today.
And hey, how 'bout those opening two matches? An exciting 1-1 draw between Poland and Greece, followed by an offensive shootout between Russia and the Czechs that looks like it will end in a 4-1 victory for the Motherland is as good as one could hope for from what's considered the tournament's weakest group. The tournament should only get better as the days go on.
And how can you not love Michael Ballack -- or Matt Damon? --...
And hey, how 'bout those opening two matches? An exciting 1-1 draw between Poland and Greece, followed by an offensive shootout between Russia and the Czechs that looks like it will end in a 4-1 victory for the Motherland is as good as one could hope for from what's considered the tournament's weakest group. The tournament should only get better as the days go on.
And how can you not love Michael Ballack -- or Matt Damon? --...
- 6/8/2012
- by Anthony Schneck
- Celebsology
When it rains, it pours!
Yesterday, Phoenix Suns president and CEO Rick Welts came out as gay -- following a number of other athletes who have recently spoken up for Glbt equality, even as other sports professionals have spoken out against it.
Today, former college basketball player Will Sheridan came out as gay in an article on Espn.com. In the article, he talks about how his sexual orientation was widely known among his teammates -- and how he was sometimes bullied by opposing teams.
Sheridan played for Villanova University for four years, a Division One school that was ranked number one in the nation for a time while Sheridan played.
Sheridan is also the latest high-profile African American to come out, following CNN anchor Don Lemon, who also came out this week.
Below, he discusses his coming out with Espn's Bob Ley:
Sheridan, who is also a musical artist,...
Yesterday, Phoenix Suns president and CEO Rick Welts came out as gay -- following a number of other athletes who have recently spoken up for Glbt equality, even as other sports professionals have spoken out against it.
Today, former college basketball player Will Sheridan came out as gay in an article on Espn.com. In the article, he talks about how his sexual orientation was widely known among his teammates -- and how he was sometimes bullied by opposing teams.
Sheridan played for Villanova University for four years, a Division One school that was ranked number one in the nation for a time while Sheridan played.
Sheridan is also the latest high-profile African American to come out, following CNN anchor Don Lemon, who also came out this week.
Below, he discusses his coming out with Espn's Bob Ley:
Sheridan, who is also a musical artist,...
- 5/16/2011
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
With just a week before Little Brown’s release of James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales’ warts-and-all oral history of Espn, it’s becoming clear that former SportsCenter anchor Keith Olbermann is this story’s Chevy Chase. Recall that Miller and Shales collaborated on Live From New York, a most-excellent uncensored history of SNL that described the clash of egos when Chase, the show’s first star, went on to bigger, if not necessarily better, things. In Olbermann’s case, he wasn’t the network’s first breakout star — that would be Chris Berman — but his on-air brilliance was unrivaled,...
- 5/16/2011
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW.com - PopWatch
Espn will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of SportsCenter on September 6, and mix the past and the present with anchors Chris Berman, Bob Ley and John Saunders. SportsCenter producers will blend segments that look back at great moments in sports over three decades and the men's careers at Espn. Ley joined Espn two days after its September 7, 1979, launch, while Berman soon followed in October. Saunders came to Espn in 1986. The 90-minute program airs Sunday, Sept. 6, at 11:30 p.m. Et. On Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7, starting at 4:30 a.m. the show will re-air and will be seen five times through noon. Live updates with the latest sports news will be inserted. From Espn:...
- 8/28/2009
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
NEW YORK -- ESPN announced three new programs at its inaugural upfront presentation for advertisers at New York's Avery Fisher Hall on Tuesday. In April, the sports network will begin a nightly primetime version of Outside the Lines, its weekly interview and sports magazine show hosted by Bob Ley. In February, ESPN 2 will launch Drive Time, a nightly 5-7 p.m. program modeled after call-in radio shows. And in October 2003, ESPN 2 will roll out Cold Pizza, a daily two-hour show modeled after the network morning programs, which will run from 7-9 a.m. "Think 'GMA, ' think sports, think fans, think fashion," said ESPN executive vp programming and production Mark Shapiro, who added that ESPN will begin devoting more resources for original programming on ESPN 2.
- 10/30/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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