SportsCenter to Stop at Walt Disney World During "50 States in 50 Days" Broadcasting Event
Appropriately, they will be broadcasting from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
SportsCenter is making their way across the country later this month, and just like a Super Bowl MVP, for their Florida stop, they’re going to Walt Disney World!
What’s Happening:
- ESPN’s flagship news and information program will set off on a cross-country journey this summer with SportsCenter: 50 States in 50 Days - a nationwide tour designed to bring SportsCenter and its anchors directly to fans across America.
- ESPN has unveiled the full schedule for the seven-week initiative, featuring a mix of live on-site shows and storytelling segments from a different state each day for 50 consecutive days, kicking off in Washington, D.C. on June 27th, with a special edition hosted by Scott Van Pelt at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- Among the many stops is the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World. There, The Ocho will take over, with Randy Scott and Gary Striewski.
- This marks the Florida appearance for the event, which will take place on Friday, August 1st at 2:00 PM.
- Other notable locations include:
- UFC 317 in Las Vegas with Nicole Briscoe and Michael Eaves
- MLB Home Run Derby in Atlanta with Elle Duncan and Kevin Negandhi
- The ESPYS in Los Angeles with Kevin Negandhi and Elle Duncan
- WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis with Hannah Storm and Elle Duncan
- Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., with Kevin Negandhi
- This is the first time in 20 years that SportsCenter has done a cross-country tour of this scale. It was the original 2005 SportsCenter Across America effort that inspired this revival, now reimagined for a digital-first audience and reflecting ESPN’s commitment to both physical and digital fan engagement.
A Whole Wide World:
- Originally opened as the Wide World of Sports Complex in 1997, the ESPN branding kicked in in 2010 when the Walt Disney World complex was renamed to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
- Though the 220 acre facility has always hosted athletic events, highlights of which (and sometimes full coverage of more niche events) were broadcasted on the network, it wasn’t until 2006 that coverage began to increase, garnering more attention on the ESPN platforms, including ESPN2 and ESPNU, especially for Pop Warner football and AAU championship events.
- By 2010 when the renaming occurred, ESPN and Disney began producing more youth sports, cheerleading competitions, and college invitationals at the complex. With broadcasts of the Pop Warner Championships on ESPN and ESPN3, AAU Basketball and track events, Soccer Showcase highlights, Cheerleading and Dance Championships on ESPN2/ESPNU, and more.
- The complex really took center stage though during the Global COVID-19 pandemic, when the NBA restarted its 2019–2020 season in a quarantine "bubble" at Walt Disney World. Games were played at the HP Field House and Visa Athletic Center within the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, and all of the games were nationally televised on ESPN/ABC, TNT, and NBA TV, with ESPN playing a central production role.
- With such a history in broadcasting from the complex, this SportsCenter event will just add to that legacy for the Walt Disney World location.
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