The Big Thing: ESPN NBA

Photo of Gianina ThompsonGianina Thompson Follow on Twitter December 23, 2016

Front & Center Podcast:

ESPN and ABC have been home to some of the most-anticipated and exciting NBA moments this year. From the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998 and the debut of the NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC franchise –  to the Golden State Warriors’ historical 73-win mark and Kobe Bryant’s final game – ESPN and the NBA have had a lot to celebrate.

The excitement will continue this Sunday as ESPN and ABC combine to televise the NBA’s full Christmas Day schedule – highlighted by a Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors NBA Finals rematch at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Before the action begins, Julie Sobieski, ESPN vice president of league sports programming, joins the Front & Center podcast to discuss ESPN’s new deal with the NBA.

More Big Things

NFL

Monday Night Football

ESPN’s NFL team featured many new faces this year, including a trio of studio analysts and Monday Night Football play-by-play voice Sean McDonough. ESPN’s MNF regular-season schedule concludes Dec. 26 with Lions vs. Cowboys and continues in 2017 with a Wild Card Playoff Game (Jan. 7 or 8) and the NFL Pro Bowl (Jan 29).

 

ESPN Technology

Aaron LaBerge, CTO and Executive Vice President, ESPN

Decades ago, ESPN pioneered the multi-screen approach. We made it the model and have been reinventing that model ever since. Today, our continued embrace of technology has put us in an unmatched position for the present and the future and we’re working hard to ensure that every screen delivers sports fans the very best experience.

The technology behind that takes many forms: new platforms, like a new mobile content management system we call Shortstop, which allows talent and producers to post real-time content – text and video – from anywhere, directly into our publishing and video systems, making it available to everything from SportsCenter to the ESPN app simultaneously; new methodologies for delivering advertising solutions and tracking them across ESPN platforms, that create more, better inventory and deliver against our “One Impression” vision; and speed – which in today’s world is a feature. We’re razor-focused on mobile and providing the fastest, best products in sports.

These are just a few of the manifestations of a culture that rewards innovation and a dedication to technology that continues to keep us at the leading edge of sports, media and technology.

 

Corporate Citzenship

Bringing communities sports courts throughout South America and Mexico

As part of ESPN Corporate Citizenship’s “Leadership Through Sports” program, ESPN built multifunctional sports courts in underserved communities in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janiero and Mexico City. In addition to bringing access to sports to thousands of youth, employment skills training is offered at each location.

 

MLB

Phil Orlins

Photo of Gianina ThompsonGianina Thompson Follow on Twitter December 23, 2016
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