"ESPN8: The Ocho" Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Live Events at ESPN Wide World of Sports

ESPN8: The Ocho is set to return again this summer for its 10th anniversary, with live events taking place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World.

What's Happening:

• ESPN has announced the 10th anniversary of their popular programming block, ESPN8: The Ocho, taking place in August.
• For a few days, the event will take over with live, we'll just say less common, sporting events that will be taking place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World.
• The programming will be taking place from August 6 through August 9, but will be live from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex with events on August 7.
• While programming details still have yet to be revealed, we anticipate we will be hearing more about full lineups and events in the weeks ahead.

Ocho Origins:

• What started as a joke in the 2004 movie, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story has become an annual tradition at ESPN.
• In the movie, the fictitious ESPN8: The Ocho was a channel that broadcast ridiculous and niche sports - like Dodgeball. The joke outlived the movie and became so popular that ESPN turned it into a real programming event.
• Usually taking place in the summer around August 8 (8/8, get it?) ESPN rebrands part of its programming block to ESPN8: The Ocho, and airs obscure, absurd, and niche competitions.
• Over the years, we've seen (appropriately enough) Dodgeball, cornhole, pillow fighting, stone skipping, corgi racing, slippery stair running, and even Excel spreadsheet championships.
• Part of the appeal is that the sports are presented with the same level of serious coverage that might be seen in the NFL or NBA games.
• Originally, the event was a one day stunt that was surprisingly successful, transforming into the multi-day event that it is today.