“This Was SportsCenter:” Rich Eisen Revisits Moments from the Show That Changed Sports Media
The show is airing as part of Disney+’s Throwback Summer.
Rich Eisen reunites with some of SportsCenter’s most iconic personalities in a new ESPN video podcast that revisits the show's defining moments and legacy.
What’s Happening:
- Earlier this year, Bay Area sports fans were invited to a podcast taping celebrating the history of SportsCenter.
- And now we know ESPN will launch This Was SportsCenter: Stories from the Set, a new six-episode video podcast hosted and produced by Rich Eisen, on June 5.
- The series takes fans behind the scenes of SportsCenter during the late 1990s and early 2000s, highlighting stories from the personalities who helped shape the show's cultural impact.
- New episodes will premiere every Friday as part of Disney+’s Throwback Summer campaign, inviting fans to celebrate nostalgia.
- Episodes will be available on Disney+, the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited and ESPN Select subscribers, and major podcast platforms.
- The premiere episode features Dan Patrick and debuts on June 5.
- Episode 2 features Chris Berman and was recorded live at the Strand Theater in San Francisco during Super Bowl week earlier this year.
- Additional guests include Mike Greenberg (June 12), Linda Cohn (June 19), Chris Fowler (June 26), and Craig Kilborn (July 3).
- Each episode explores each guests’ experiences at SportsCenter and the role the program played in their careers.
- Through in-depth interviews, Eisen revisits the memorable moments, personalities, and behind-the-scenes stories that helped make SportsCenter a landmark sports news franchise.
What They’re Saying:
- Mike Foss, Executive Vice President, Executive Editor, Sports News and Entertainment: “SportsCenter has been the centerpiece of ESPN since its launch. Rich was the perfect person to host these conversations, bringing his own perspective alongside the voices and stories that helped define SportsCenter through the years, while also showing how the brand continues to connect with fans and shape sports culture today.”
- Eisen, CEO of Rich Eisen Productions and SportsCenter host from 1996-2003: “The moment my daily Rich Eisen Show reunited me with ESPN, I knew I had to create this show. I’ve lost track of the number of times people have come up to me over the years to say how I either helped put them on a school bus in the morning or stayed up procrastinating late-night in college thanks to SportsCenter. For those folks, I’m about to inject, as Stuart Scott might call it, straight-butter nostalgia into their veins.”
ESPN Wide World of Sports:
- Over at Walt Disney World, the excitement of sports comes alive at the massive ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.
- But have you ever wondered how Disney keeps all the fields primed for play?
- You can check out a behind-the-scenes look at the hard work Disney Cast Members do to keep EPSN Wide World of Sports game ready!
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