ESPN released a press release about revamping the way they do Sportscenter.
It is a smart move in a sense that people just don’t sit in front of the TV and watch an hour long Sportscenter anymore.
They are on their phones, tablets, social media spaces, so it was time for ESPN to change some things. Here is a part of what they are doing.
The new SportsCenter Right Now initiative will bring news updates to both digital and television platforms during daytime hours as well as during halftime of televised prime-time sporting events. And with ESPN re-signing many popular SportsCenter anchors to new, multiyear deals, the television lineup also will be revised.
All enhancements are part of the continued expansion of the multiplatform SportsCenter brand to better serve sports fans and their changing viewing habits. More updates will be announced later.
“SportsCenter seeks to serve sports fans with singular talent, exceptional news coverage and unprecedented accessibility,” said Rob King, ESPN senior vice president, SportsCenter and News. “We plan to be essential when fans awaken, exhaustive whenever fans need a highlight, score or news update, and entertaining pre-game, in-game and postgame.
“As our audience and its needs change, we change to serve those fans and meet their needs. We always have, and we always will.”
That is very smart, so kudos for them for that, part of this change is moving Sage Steele into a new position.
Here is what they had to say about that.
Also returning to Bristol will be Sage Steele, who has signed a new, multiyear deal and beginning in late August will anchor SportsCenter:AM from 7-10 a.m. ET Monday-Thursday. Steele also will continue to lead SportsCenter on the Road coverage from major events such as the Super Bowl, the Masters, the NBA Finals, Veterans Day and more.
Because it is a press release they aren’t going to get into details about contracts, but sources tell BSO that Steele and others had to take huge paycuts on these renegotiable deals to stay with the company.
As you know ESPN laid off 100s of well-known on-air talent just a few weeks ago.
Steele in particular was on the chopping block, but was saved by you guessed it right-wing white nationalists sites like Breitbart.
It is ironic that Steele who doesn’t want to be referred as black was saved by white nationalists. I guess she does have some form of white privilege.
Because of the backlash from those type of sites after she was replaced on NBA Countdown, the fear was if she was let go, she would be used as a poster child by those white nationalists to show ESPN is a liberal news organization that will fire anyone who was a public Trump supporter.
ESPN should have had the guts to do it, but even though this is sports, politics are still involved and ESPN is feeling the heat about a lot of things, so this was one battle they didn’t want to fight. It is sad that that ESPN has shown such a willingness to give people like Jemele Hill, Josina Anderson Bomani Jones, Michael Smith, Cari Champion, The Undefeated and more such a platform to show that it is ok to be black and not have conform to be successful, but allowed themselves to be bullied into keeping Sage Steele in light of her very hurtful, dangerous and damaging comments about black people.
Two steps forward and one step back I suppose.
So, instead of being dumped, she was giving an option to take the paycut and this new role on Sportscenter which she accepted because frankly she is a bit of a pariah in the media world at the moment.
If you are wondering why Steele has been villainized, trust me it is her own fault, just read this.