Editing SportsCenter (section)

== History ==
''SportsCenter'' was conceived in 1979 and created by ESPN executives [[Chet Simmons]] and Scotty Connal.<ref name=gp>{{cite news|title=Chet Simmons, a Founding Force of ESPN, dies at 81|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/sports/27simmons.html?_r=0|author=Richard Sandomir|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 26, 2010|access-date=June 23, 2014|author-link=Richard Sandomir|archive-date=April 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427121050/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/sports/27simmons.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref> The program was originally anchored by [[Chris Berman]], [[George Grande]], [[Greg Gumbel]], [[Lee Leonard]], [[Bob Ley]], [[Sal Marchiano]] and [[Tom Mees]].

===1970s===

Grande introduced the country to ESPN when he co-anchored the premiere episode of ''SportsCenter'' on September 7, 1979, with Leonard, a longtime [[New York City]] sports broadcaster. According to ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', Leonard said in the opening of the show: "If you're a fan, what you will see in the next minutes, hours, and days to follow may convince you that you've gone to sports heaven."<ref>''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', [[Time Inc.]], 8 September 2000, p. 94.</ref> Grande spent ten more years with ESPN and ''SportsCenter'' until he left the network in 1989.

Chris Berman joined ESPN one month after its launch and became a fixture on the program until the early 1990s, when his efforts became more focused on [[Sunday NFL Countdown|National Football League]] and [[Baseball Tonight (MLB)|Major League Baseball]] coverage. He does, however, still occasionally appear as a substitute anchor.  Bob Ley, who also hosted ''[[Outside the Lines]]'', regularly appeared on the Sunday morning edition of ''SportsCenter'' until his retirement in 2019.

===1980s===

In 1988, the program's format was changed by [[executive producer]] Walsh from focusing on individual sports or leagues to a "newspaper-style" structure, prioritizing stories by importance rather than by sport.<ref>{{cite book|title=The ESPN Effect: How ESPN Has Transformed Local Sportscasts|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g711NwAACAAJ|author=Chung Soon Choi|year=2002|access-date=2015-10-06|archive-date=2016-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429084411/https://books.google.com/books/about/The_ESPN_Effect.html?id=g711NwAACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>

The program's title sequence during its early years included various kinds of sports balls flying outward, set to a rapid-fire electronic music version of "[[Albedo 0.39|Pulstar]]" by [[Vangelis]]. By 1989, the first of several theme songs to incorporate ESPN's trademark six-note fanfare went into use. The theme music was originally composed by [[John Colby (musician)|John Colby]], who served as ESPN's [[music director]] from 1984 to 1992, creating and producing music for various sporting events and programs seen on the network.<ref>{{cite web|title=Meet SportsCenter theme composer Colby — the 'DaDaDa, DaDaDa' guy|url=http://www.espnfrontrow.com/2012/09/meet-sportscenter-theme-composer-colby-the-dadada-dadada-guy/|author=Rob Tobias|website=ESPN Front Row|publisher=[[ESPN Inc.]]|date=September 10, 2012|access-date=October 6, 2015|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924002241/http://www.espnfrontrow.com/2012/09/meet-sportscenter-theme-composer-colby-the-dadada-dadada-guy/|url-status=live}}</ref> The current version of the theme was composed in 2006 by Annie Roboff, who also co-wrote [[Faith Hill]]'s 1998 hit "[[This Kiss (Faith Hill song)|This Kiss]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Official Annie Roboff Home Page|url=http://www.geocities.com/aroboff/Annie.htm|author=Annie Roboff|website=[[GeoCities]]|access-date=June 19, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070624230615/http://www.geocities.com/aroboff/Annie.htm|archive-date=June 24, 2007}}</ref>

===1990s===

In 1994, ESPN launched the ''[[This is SportsCenter]]'' [[advertising campaign]], a series of humorous, [[tongue-in-cheek]] spots featuring anchors and crew, based on the show's opening tagline. The ads ran from 1995 to 2024 when the campaign was replaced by "My Life, My Team."<ref>{{cite web|title=This is SportsCenter|url=https://www.espn.com/thisissportscenter/index.html|website=ESPN.com|publisher=[[ESPN Inc.]]|access-date=October 6, 2015|archive-date=July 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725123933/http://espn.go.com/thisissportscenter/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The team of [[Dan Patrick (sportscaster)|Dan Patrick]] and [[Keith Olbermann]]—who anchored the 11:00&nbsp;p.m. ([[Eastern time zone|Eastern]]) edition of the program—achieved great popularity during the late 1980s and the 1990s, a period interrupted by Olbermann's brief move to spin-off channel [[ESPN2]] upon that network's launch in 1993. After Olbermann left ESPN in 1997, [[Kenny Mayne]] became Patrick's co-anchor on the late broadcast; when Patrick was moved to the 6:00&nbsp;p.m. edition, [[Rich Eisen]] and [[Stuart Scott]] became the show's primary anchor team.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}

===2000s===

In 2001, [[Toronto]]-based [[CTVglobemedia|Bell Globemedia]] and ESPN (which received a minority stake) jointly acquired [[The Sports Network]] (TSN). As part of its shift to ESPN-influenced branding, the [[specialty channel]] rebranded its existing sports news program ''SportsDesk'' and changed its name to ''[[SportsCentre]]'', using the same introductions and theme music as the ESPN version, except with its title rendered using [[Canadian English|Canadian spelling]].<ref>{{cite web|url =https://rbr.com/tsn-radio-launches-two-sports-stations-in-canada/|title =TSN Radio launches two Sports stations in Canada|last1 =Marcucci|first1 =Carl|date =October 5, 2011|website =Radio and Television Business Report|publisher=Radio Business Report|access-date =2 February 2023}}</ref>

On September 11, 2001, ESPN interrupted regular programming at 11:05&nbsp;a.m. Eastern to cover the immediate aftermath of the [[September 11 attacks|terror attacks]] through a [[simulcast]] of [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] coverage. ESPN considered [[List of entertainment affected by the September 11 attacks|suspending that night's editions]] of ''SportsCenter'', before deciding to air a half-hour edition in which they announced the cancellations of major upcoming sporting events.<ref>''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', Time Inc., September 24, 2001. The episode also honored all who had died that day.</ref>

On June 7, 2004, ''SportsCenter'' began broadcasting in [[high-definition television|high definition]]. Along with the conversion, the program introduced a new set designed by [[Walt Disney Imagineering]] (situated in a studio located at ESPN's new "Digital Center"), and a new graphics package titled "Revolution" that was developed by Troika Design Group.<ref>{{cite web|title=ESPN to open Digital Center June 7|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tvlistings/espnhd/espnHDStory?id=1802691|website=ESPN.com|publisher=ESPN Inc.|date=May 16, 2004|access-date=October 6, 2015|archive-date=October 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006231048/http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tvlistings/espnhd/espnHDStory?id=1802691|url-status=dead}}</ref> During that summer, ESPN celebrated its [[ESPN25|25th anniversary]], by counting down the top 100 moments in sports over the previous 25 years. The countdown was seen on each ''SportsCenter'' broadcast daily beginning on May 31, 2004; the countdown concluded with the #1 moment, the [[United States men's national ice hockey team]]'s [[Miracle on Ice|victory]] over the [[Soviet national ice hockey team|USSR]] during the [[1980 Winter Olympics]], airing on September 7, 2004.

During the summer of 2005, ''SportsCenter'' premiered a segment called "[[50 States in 50 Days]]", where a different ''SportsCenter'' anchor traveled to a different state each day to discover the sports, sports history, and athletes of the state.<ref>{{cite web|title=50 States in 50 Days|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/fiftyfifty/index|website=ESPN.com|publisher=ESPN Inc.|access-date=October 6, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050810014037/http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/fiftyfifty/index|archive-date=August 10, 2005}}</ref>

On April 4, 2006, ''SportsCenter'' began to show highlights of [[Major League Baseball]] games in progress at the program's airtime; the rights to broadcast these highlights while games were ongoing was previously given exclusivity to fellow ESPN program, ''Baseball Tonight''; the in-progress highlights are shown as part of the "Baseball Tonight Extra" segment. Prior to that date, video footage from MLB games was not shown on any ''SportsCenter'' broadcasts until the games completed play.

On February 11, 2007, following the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] game between the [[2006-07 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago Bulls]] and the [[2006-07 Phoenix Suns season|Phoenix Suns]], ''SportsCenter'' aired its 30,000th broadcast. The special milestone edition was anchored by [[Steve Levy]] and Stuart Scott; Bob Ley, Chris Berman and Dan Patrick made guest appearances to recap events as well as bloopers from the first 10,000 shows (all three men individually counted down each set of 10,000 clips).<ref>{{cite web|title=ESPN To Air 30,000th Live SportsCenter|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/programming/espn-air-30000th-live-sportscenter/28990|author=Ben Grossman|periodical=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]|date=January 25, 2007|access-date=October 6, 2015|archive-date=October 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008032406/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/programming/espn-air-30000th-live-sportscenter/28990|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=ESPN highlight: 30,000th show|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/espn-highlight-30-000th-show-article-1.233652|author=Marisa Guthrie|newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]|publisher=[[Mortimer Zuckerman|Daily News, L.P.]]|date=February 8, 2007|access-date=October 6, 2015|archive-date=October 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007102122/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/espn-highlight-30-000th-show-article-1.233652|url-status=live}}</ref> ESPN also debuted the ''SportsCenter Minute'', a one-minute ''SportsCenter'' update that is streamed exclusively on [[ESPN.com]].

Four months later on May 6, another major change to ''SportsCenter'' was introduced on that night's 11:00&nbsp;p.m. (Eastern) edition, with the debut of a "rundown" graphic that appears on the right-side third of the screen. This feature was originally only shown during rebroadcasts of the overnight edition on Monday through Saturday nights, and on the main Sunday night telecast;<ref>{{cite news|title=ESPN shrinking before our eyes|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2007/05/08/espn-shrinking-before-our-eyes/|author=Teddy Greenstein|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|publisher=[[Tronc|Tribune Publishing]]|date=May 8, 2007|access-date=October 6, 2015|archive-date=October 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007164636/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-05-08/sports/0705070385_1_espn-bloomberg-tv-screen|url-status=live}}</ref> on ESPNHD, the sidebar graphic filled the right [[pillarbox]] where the ESPNHD logo would usually appear when [[standard-definition television|standard definition]] footage was presented.

The 6:00&nbsp;p.m. edition of ''SportsCenter'' moved one hour earlier to 5:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time on May 28, 2007; at that time, the early-evening edition was, for the first time, expanded to three hours. During that broadcast, ESPN aired live coverage of [[Roger Clemens]]'s second start for the [[New York Yankees]]' [[Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders|minor league affiliate]] in [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]]. The 11:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time edition of ''SportsCenter'' on August 7, 2007, which was anchored by [[John Buccigross]] and [[Cindy Brunson]], showed live coverage of [[Barry Bonds]]'s 756th career home run, which broke the old MLB record set by [[Hank Aaron]] (ESPN was carrying the game live on ESPN2). In August 2008, the former [[WWE]] employee [[Jonathan Coachman]] joined ESPN to anchor the show.

On August 11, 2008, during the opening week of the [[2008 Beijing Olympic Games]], ''SportsCenter'' began airing live from 9:00&nbsp;a.m. to 3:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time. The original plan was to start the live block three hours earlier at 6:00&nbsp;a.m. Eastern; however, the network decided to scale back the length of the daytime broadcast before the expansion occurred.<ref name="SportsCenterAM">{{cite news|title=SportsCenter to air live in mornings starting Aug. 11; Storm joins ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=3393816|website=ESPN.com|publisher=ESPN Inc.|date=May 13, 2008|access-date=May 13, 2008|archive-date=May 17, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517012658/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=3393816|url-status=live}}</ref>

That same year, [[Hannah Storm]] (former [[NBC Sports]] reporter and anchor of [[CBS]]'s ''[[The Early Show]]'') joined ESPN to anchor the 9:00&nbsp;a.m. to 12:00&nbsp;p.m. block of the program.<ref>{{cite news|title=ESPN whittles down 'SportsCenter' in daytime|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/espn-whittles-down-sportscenter-daytime-115339|author=Paul J. Gough|agency=[[Associated Press]]|periodical=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|publisher=BPI|date=July 9, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080802092811/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i39993a2e41be155299b9c950b3a9a3ea |archive-date=August 2, 2008 }}</ref> The new format included two teams of two anchors in three-hour shifts:

* 9:00&nbsp;a.m. – 12:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time: [[Kevin Negandhi]] (originally [[Josh Elliott]]) and Hannah Storm
* 12:00&nbsp;p.m. – 3:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time: [[Jay Crawford]] (originally [[Robert Flores]], then [[John Buccigross]]) and [[Chris McKendry]]

In addition, [[Sage Steele]] would provide updates every 30 minutes from 9:00&nbsp;a.m. to 3:00&nbsp;p.m.<ref>{{cite news|title=Karolyi to keep Costas Company|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2008-06-19-karolyi-costas_N.htm|author=Michael Hiestand|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|date=June 20, 2008|access-date=May 23, 2010}}</ref> The changes also included a new website for the program – SportsCenter.com, which launched on August 11, 2008 – to promote more interaction with viewers.<ref name="SportsCenterAM" /> To promote these changes, ESPN held an employee casting call to see who would be featured in almost 25 live and unscripted commercials per day. Steve Braband, an International Programmer for the network, won, and was featured in ads shown about every half-hour (excluding from 2:00 to 5:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time) on ESPN. Additionally, the network launched the website, steveislive.com, featuring Braband's daily appearance schedule, blog, and video clips of past appearances and audition footage.

Upon that network's launch on February 13, 2009, ''SportsCenter'' began producing a countdown segment, the ''SportsCenter High-5'', for sister channel [[Disney XD]] (which is owned by ESPN majority owner [[The Walt Disney Company]]).<ref>{{cite news|title=Disney XD Open for Business|url=http://adage.com/article/media/disney-xd-cable-network-open-business/134613/|author=Andrew Hampp|website=[[Advertising Age]]|publisher=[[Crain Communications]]|date=February 13, 2009|access-date=August 10, 2014|archive-date=October 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007170114/http://adage.com/article/media/disney-xd-cable-network-open-business/134613/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=PRO ATHLETES MENTOR PROMISING ACTION SPORTS AMATEURS IN THE REALITY SERIES "NEXT X," SET TO DEBUT ON DISNEY XD|url=http://www.fatbmx.com/bmx/news/article.php?storyid=7108|periodical=FAT BMX Magazine|publisher=FAT BMX Promotions|date=February 14, 2009|access-date=August 10, 2014|archive-date=August 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205736/http://www.fatbmx.com/bmx/news/article.php?storyid=7108|url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 6, 2009 (starting with the 9:00&nbsp;a.m. to 12:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time edition, which was anchored by Hannah Storm and Sage Steele), ''SportsCenter'' debuted a new graphics package that saw the "rundown" graphic – shown during the daytime editions – being shifted to the left side of the screen. On that same date, ''SportsCenter'' began producing its 1:00&nbsp;a.m. Eastern Time edition of ''SportsCenter'' live from ESPN's production facilities in the newly constructed [[L.A. Live]] complex (just across from the [[Staples Center]]) in Los Angeles. The set is virtually identical to the setup at the main facilities in Bristol, and the late-night West Coast broadcast would be produced as simply another edition of the program. [[Neil Everett]] and [[Stan Verrett]] were appointed as the primary anchors for the Los Angeles-based editions of ''SportsCenter''. A new [[ESPN BottomLine|BottomLine]] ticker was also unveiled that day on four of the five ESPN networks (ESPN, [[ESPN2]], [[ESPN Classic]] and [[ESPNU]]); the redesigned ticker was quickly dropped, reverting to the old BottomLine design – which had been in use since April 2003 – due to an equipment failure (however, this ticker was operational for the [[2009 NFL draft]] and the [[2009 NBA draft]]). After technical issues with the revamped BottomLine were fixed, the new BottomLine was reinstated on July 8.

The [[2009 U.S. Open Golf Championship]], which was repeatedly delayed due to weather, aired on both [[NBC]] and ESPN. Portions of ESPN's broadcast, including the early parts of the Monday final round, were presented under the "''SportsCenter'' at the U.S. Open" banner – using a similar branding as the segments-within-the-show focusing on nightly highlights and analysis of a particular event originating from the event locations (such as "''SportsCenter'' at the [[Super Bowl]]" and "''SportsCenter'' at the [[World Series]]"). In August 2009, Robert Flores – co-anchor of the program's 12:00 to 3:00&nbsp;p.m. block – was replaced on the early-afternoon broadcasts with John Buccigross.

===2010s===

On August 30, 2010, ESPN expanded ''SportsCenter'' to [[ESPNEWS]], airing an additional seven hours of the program in separate blocks from 3:00 to 6:00&nbsp;p.m. and 7:00 to 11:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time, canceling the channel's self-named rolling coverage.<ref name="sportscenterexpanding" /><ref>{{cite web|title=ESPN Now Bringing You Even More SportsCenter|url=http://www.sportsgrid.com/media/espn-now-bringing-you-even-more-sportscenter/|author=Glenn Davis|website=SportsGrid|publisher=RotoGrid, LLC|date=August 9, 2010|access-date=October 6, 2015|archive-date=October 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007154834/http://www.sportsgrid.com/media/espn-now-bringing-you-even-more-sportscenter/|url-status=live}}</ref> By late 2010, the "rundown" graphic was expanded to all editions of ''SportsCenter''. On April 22, 2011, Josh Elliott – original and main co-anchor of the 9:00&nbsp;a.m. to 12:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time block of ''SportsCenter'' – left ESPN to become news anchor for ABC's ''[[Good Morning America]]'' and was replaced on the late morning block of the program by Kevin Negandhi.

By mid-2011, shortly after ESPN and ESPN2 both converted to a [[16:9]] [[Letterboxing (filming)|letterbox]] format (in compliance with the [[Active Format Description|#10 AFD code]]) on their primary standard definition feeds, ''SportsCenter'' began showing all high-definition and standard-definition footage in the appropriate aspect ratio on the SD feed (with stylized pillarboxes adorned with the ESPN logo used on footage presented in standard definition). That same year on October, the former WWE employee [[Todd Grisham]] joined ESPN to anchor the show. The move required the letterboxed image to be shrunk in order to be displayed in that manner, with the "rundown" graphic continuing to be placed on the left side of the screen. In August 2011, [[John Anderson (sportscaster)|John Anderson]] – who previously served as the 11:00&nbsp;p.m. (Eastern) anchor – was moved to the early-evening 6:00&nbsp;p.m. broadcast, replacing [[Brian Kenny (sportscaster)|Brian Kenny]] (who departed ESPN to become a program host for the [[MLB Network]]). ESPN launched a completely redesigned SportsCenter.com website on October 16, 2011.

On August 25, 2012, the BottomLine was used to acknowledge the death of astronaut [[Neil Armstrong]], the [[Apollo 11|first man to walk on the Moon]]. It was reportedly only the fifth of six times that an outside news event not involving an athlete was reported on the ticker, alongside the news of the September 11 attacks, the death of civil rights pioneer [[Rosa Parks]] in 2005, the election of [[Barack Obama]] as [[President of the United States]] in [[2008 United States presidential election|2008]], the [[Killing of Osama bin Laden]], and the later death of former [[President of South Africa|South African]] president [[Nelson Mandela]] on December 5, 2013.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

On December 3, 2012, [[Lindsay Czarniak]] became the main co-anchor of the 6:00&nbsp;p.m. edition of ''SportsCenter''. On February 8 and 9, 2013, the 11:00&nbsp;p.m. editions of ''SportsCenter'' on both nights were broadcast from Los Angeles, due to a massive snowstorm in the [[Northeastern United States]] that prevented some staff from conducting the program out of ESPN's Bristol headquarters. Stan Verrett anchored both editions from the network's Los Angeles studios.

In late March 2013, David Lloyd and Sage Steele, both of whom were previously co-anchored the weekend morning editions – moved to the weekday early-afternoon block (from 1:00 to 3:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern). The current daytime format, which was implemented that month, now features three teams of two anchors in two-hour shifts. On June 21, 2013, a large [[Light emitting diode|LED]] high definition monitor placed behind the main anchor desk was added to the main ''SportsCenter'' set in the network's Bristol facility.

In February 2014, production of the weeknight 1:00 and 2:00&nbsp;a.m. (Eastern Time) editions of ''SportsCenter'' was temporarily relocated back to Bristol, due to renovations being made at the network's ''SportsCenter'' studio in Los Angeles. In addition, Neil Everett and Stan Verrett – both of whom had anchored ''SportsCenter'' from Los Angeles since 2009 – were moved back to the network's headquarters, before both hosts and the program's production returned to the then-newly renovated Los Angeles studio on June 23, 2014.

On June 22, 2014, ''SportsCenter'' began broadcasting from Studio X of ESPN's new Digital Center 2 facility, which concurrently resulted in a major overhaul to the program's production and on-air appearance. The new studio incorporates over 114 displays – including two touchscreens, large vertical screens, and a "multidimensional" video wall consisting of 56 monitors of varying sizes and positions that can be used to create pseudo-3D effects. The monitor displays can be used to show video content (such as highlights) and other relevant imagery (such as statistics), emphasizing the ability for anchors to present content on-set through means other than just through voiceovers. A new graphics package was also introduced, emphasizing a bolder, yet more simplified look – in both their appearance and the level of content. To coincide with the redesign of ''SportsCenter'', a revised variant of ESPN's BottomLine ticker was introduced to complement the new graphical design, using a dark grey color scheme. A downscaled replica of DC2's set was constructed for broadcasts originating from ESPN's Los Angeles studio.<ref name=forthewin-dc2>{{cite web|title=ESPN debuts futuristic 'SportsCenter' set and revamped ticker|url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/06/sportscenter-set-espn-ticker-new|author=Chris Chase|website=For The Win (USA Today)|publisher=Gannett Company|date=June 23, 2014}}</ref><ref name=fc-dc2>{{cite web|title=Inside the Creative Leap – and Expensive Risk – of ESPN's SportsCenter Makeover|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3031574/most-creative-people/inside-the-creative-leap-and-expensive-risk-of-espns-sportscenter-makeo|author=Chuck Salter|website=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]]|publisher=Fast Company, Inc.|date=June 23, 2014|access-date=June 24, 2014|archive-date=June 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140624030813/http://www.fastcompany.com/3031574/most-creative-people/inside-the-creative-leap-and-expensive-risk-of-espns-sportscenter-makeo|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=tvt-dc2>{{cite web|title=ESPN Opens New Digital Center|url=http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/espn-opens-new-digital-center/270611|author=Tom Butts|website=TV Technology|publisher=NewBay Media|date=June 23, 2014|access-date=June 24, 2014|archive-date=August 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808043801/http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/espn-opens-new-digital-center/270611|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=thr-dc2>{{cite web|title=ESPN Reveals the New Home of 'SportsCenter'|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/espn-reveals-new-home-sportscenter-706678|author=Debbie Emery|work=The Hollywood Reporter|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|date=June 23, 2014|access-date=June 24, 2014|archive-date=July 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703122807/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/espn-reveals-new-home-sportscenter-706678|url-status=live}}</ref>

On February 2 and 3, 2015, Lindsay Czarniak anchored the 6:00&nbsp;p.m. (Eastern) edition of ''SportsCenter'' from ESPN's Los Angeles facilities, due to a major snowstorm that hit the Northeastern United States the previous weekend, which also affected ESPN's main facilities in Bristol. The previous week from January 26 to 30, Czarniak had co-anchored the 6:00&nbsp;p.m. edition alongside John Anderson from the parking lot of the [[Scottsdale Fashion Square]] in [[Scottsdale, Arizona]] as part of the program's coverage of [[Super Bowl XLIX]]. After that week, Anderson was moved back to the 11:00&nbsp;p.m. broadcast, making Czarniak the solo anchor of the 6:00&nbsp;p.m. editions on weeknights starting on February 2.

On September 7, 2015, Scott Van Pelt became the solo anchor of a revised 12:00&nbsp;a.m. (Eastern) edition of the program, which is more freeform than other ''SportsCenter'' editions and promoted as ''SportsCenter at Night,'' or SC@Night for short. In addition to featuring highlights and discussion panels, it features Van Pelt's analysis of sports events in a style similar to that conducted on his former radio talk show ''SVP and Russillo'', during the replacement of [[Danny Kanell]] as the new co-host of [[Russillo and Kanell|Russillo Show]] alongside [[Ryen Russillo]],<ref>{{cite web|title=ESPN: Scott Van Pelt's Midnight 'SportsCenter' To Tackle Late-Night TV|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/espn-scott-van-pelt-sportscenter-late-night-1201586197/|author=Brian Steinberg|periodical=Variety|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|date=September 4, 2015}}</ref> and utilizes a modified version of the show's theme (composed by [[Timbaland]]), as well as a different lighting and graphics set.<ref>{{cite press release|title=New Midnight SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt Launching Sept. 7|url=http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/08/new-midnight-sportscenter-with-scott-van-pelt-launching-sept-7/|author=Andy Hall|website=ESPN MediaZone|publisher=ESPN Inc.|date=August 31, 2015|access-date=September 6, 2015|archive-date=September 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908005256/http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/08/new-midnight-sportscenter-with-scott-van-pelt-launching-sept-7/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2015, [[Ronda Rousey]] became the first female athlete to guest host on the show.<ref>{{cite web |author=Matt Jones |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2577111-ronda-rousey-teaches-armbar-on-espns-sportscenter-talks-kobe-bryant-and-more |title=Ronda Rousey Teaches Armbar on ESPN's SportsCenter, Talks Kobe Bryant and More |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=2015-10-08 |archive-date=2015-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008200435/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2577111-ronda-rousey-teaches-armbar-on-espns-sportscenter-talks-kobe-bryant-and-more |url-status=live }}</ref>

On February 8, 2016, ''SportsCenter'' moved its start time from 9:00 to 7:00&nbsp;a.m. Eastern Time, with the launch of a new three hour morning block from 7:00 to 10:00&nbsp;a.m., titled ''SportsCenter:AM'', also branded ''SC:AM''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hall|first1=Andy|title=SportsCenter:AM Launches Feb. 8|url=http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2016/02/sportscenteram-launches-feb-8/|website=ESPN MediaZone|access-date=February 1, 2016|date=February 2016|archive-date=March 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317024735/http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2016/02/sportscenteram-launches-feb-8/|url-status=live}}</ref> Maintaining a faster-paced format, the program focuses on highlights from the previous night in the first hour, the top plays and moments of the previous night's sporting events in the second hour, and the upcoming day in sports in the third hour. ''SportsCenter:AM'' also shares resources with ''Good Morning America'' and ESPN2/ESPN Radio's ''[[Mike & Mike]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Live morning SportsCenter expanding into new two hour block at 7 AM ET|url=http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/live-morning-sportscenter-expanding-into-new-two-hour-block-at-7-am-et.html|author=Matt Yoder|website=Awful Announcing|publisher=Bloguin|date=May 12, 2015|access-date=October 6, 2015|archive-date=October 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007005258/http://awfulannouncing.com/2015/live-morning-sportscenter-expanding-into-new-two-hour-block-at-7-am-et.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=SportsCenter Adding Two Live Morning Hours with New Fast-Paced Format|url=http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/05/sportscenter-adding-two-live-morning-hours-with-new-fast-paced-format/|author=Andy Hall|website=ESPN MediaZone|publisher=ESPN Inc.|date=May 11, 2015|access-date=October 6, 2015|archive-date=October 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006222718/http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/05/sportscenter-adding-two-live-morning-hours-with-new-fast-paced-format/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On October 11, 2016, ESPN named ''[[His & Hers (ESPN)|His & Hers]]'' co-hosts [[Jemele Hill]] and [[Michael Smith (sports reporter)|Michael Smith]] as co-anchors of the 6:00&nbsp;p.m. ET edition of ''SportsCenter'', effective February 6, 2017 (the day after [[Super Bowl LI]]).  They replaced Lindsay Czarniak, who had been anchoring the 6:00&nbsp;p.m. ET edition of the show since December 3, 2012.

On November 13, 2015, ESPN interrupted regular programming around 3:00&nbsp;p.m. Eastern Time, to cover the immediate aftermath of the [[November 2015 Paris attacks|terror attacks]] on [[Stade de France]] and downtown [[Paris]] as well as the hostage situation in the [[Bataclan (theatre)|Bataclan theatre]], where a concert by American rock band [[Eagles of Death Metal]] was interrupted by terrorists who killed 89 people. [[ESPN FC]] correspondent Jonathan Johnson, as well as then [[President of France|French president]] [[François Hollande]], were attending the game in the [[Stade de France]], around which the three explosions occurred. While Hollande was evacuated from the stadium at half-time, Johnson remained in the stadium, and after the game he described to the viewers the panic of the fans who attended the game and then rushed the field, after being noticed by the Stade de France's [[Announcer|PA announcer]]. After the hostage crisis ended, a special edition of the program was aired, featuring analysis and reports on the impact that the Paris attacks had on the sports world and [[social media]] reactions of sportspeople to the attacks, announcing the postponements of some major European sporting events that had been announced up to that weekend.

On January 3, 2017, the 10:00&nbsp;a.m. and 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET editions of ''SportsCenter'' moved from ESPN to ESPN2, effectively switching channels with the two-hour debate program ''[[First Take (talk show)|First Take]]'', which moved from ESPN2 to ESPN.

On February 6, 2017, the newly revamped 6:00&nbsp;p.m. ET of ''SportsCenter'', known as [[SC6 (sports program)|''SC6'' ''with Michael/Jemele'']] (pronounced ''SportsCenter at 6''), debuted with Michael Smith and Jemele Hill as co-anchors.  This new format featured some elements taken from Smith and Hill's former show, ''His & Hers'' and, like ''SportsCenter with SVP'', was more freeform than other editions of ''SportsCenter''.  In addition, ''SC6'' focused on the night ahead in sports, as well as breaking sports news as warranted.

On April 26, 2017, ''SportsCenter'' anchors [[Jay Crawford]], Chris Hassel, [[Jade McCarthy]], [[Sara Walsh]] and [[Jaymee Sire]] (who had co-anchored ''SportsCenter:AM'' since its debut on February 8, 2016) were among the 100 staffers who were let go by ESPN.

Several notable changes were implemented for ''SportsCenter'' beginning on August 28, 2017.  [[Sage Steele]] and [[Randy Scott (sportscaster)|Randy Scott]] replaced Sire (who was laid off four months earlier) and [[Kevin Negandhi]] as co-anchors for the weekday editions of ''SportsCenter:AM'' joining [[Jay Harris (sportscaster)|Jay Harris]], while [[Matt Barrie (sportscaster)|Matt Barrie]] and [[Elle Duncan]] co-anchor the weekend editions of ''SportsCenter:AM'' alongside Negandhi (who has since left that show to co-anchor the weeknight 6:00&nbsp;p.m. ET editions of ''SportsCenter'' with Steele).  In another notable change, the "rundown" graphic has been permanently removed after a decade and (with the exception of the midnight ET edition with Scott Van Pelt) it has now been replaced by a bug on the lower-left portion of the 16:9 screen.  The bug now identifies specific editions of ''SportsCenter'' (such as ''SC:AM'', ''SC@Night'' and so on).

ESPN debuted a brand new advertising campaign for ''SportsCenter'' which was created by [[Droga5]] in late 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adweek.com/agencies/espn-picks-droga5-as-its-lead-creative-agency-for-sportscenter-and-the-brand-as-a-whole/|title=ESPN Picks Droga5 as Its Lead Creative Agency for SportsCenter and the Brand as a Whole|date=21 August 2017 |access-date=2017-09-14|archive-date=2017-09-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914083434/http://www.adweek.com/agencies/espn-picks-droga5-as-its-lead-creative-agency-for-sportscenter-and-the-brand-as-a-whole/|url-status=live}}</ref> It was originally expected to replace the long-running [[This is SportsCenter]] advertising campaign as it would be discontinued.  As of 2020, the latter advertising campaign (This is SportsCenter) is still being shown.{{Update inline|date=March 2022|reason=Still worded in present tense and last note is from 2020.}}

On November 29, 2017, within an announcement of 150 behind-the-scenes staff members being laid off, ESPN announced the end of the primetime ''SportsCenter'' editions airing on ESPNews as of November 30 (breaking sports news coverage will be maintained where needed).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/11/espn_cancels_evening_editions.html|title=ESPN cancels evening editions of 'SportsCenter' on ESPNEWS|work=cleveland.com|access-date=2017-11-30|language=en-US|archive-date=2017-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130185821/http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/11/espn_cancels_evening_editions.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://awfulannouncing.com/espn/espn-sportscenter-anchors-contracts-layoffs.html|title=ESPN ending evening ESPNews editions of SportsCenter|last=Bucholtz|first=Andrew|date=November 29, 2017|work=Awful Announcing|access-date=November 30, 2017|archive-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043634/http://awfulannouncing.com/espn/espn-sportscenter-anchors-contracts-layoffs.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following Jemele Hill's departure from ''SportsCenter'' for [[The Undefeated (website)|The Undefeated]] after the final ''SC6'' show on February 2, 2018, Michael Smith became the solo anchor of the 6:00&nbsp;p.m. ET edition of ''SportsCenter'', which itself reverted to that title on February 5; Smith himself departed from ''SportsCenter'' on March 9.  As of March 1, 2021, the weeknight 6:00&nbsp;p.m. ET editions of ''SportsCenter'' are now co-anchored by Kevin Neghandi and Elle Duncan, the latter of whom replaced Sage Steele (who in turn, moved to the noon ET edition).

With the debut of ''[[Get Up! (ESPN program)|Get Up!]]'' on ESPN on April 2, 2018, ''SportsCenter:AM'' moved to [[ESPN2]] (the first hour of the latter show has since moved back to ESPN), while ''[[Golic and Wingo]]'' moved to [[ESPNEWS]].  Consequently, the 10:00&nbsp;a.m. ET edition of ''SportsCenter'' on ESPN2 was eliminated.

On September 6, 2019, in honor of the 40th anniversary of ESPN's launch, Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick made a surprise on-air reunion as guest hosts for the late-night edition, which featured tributes to their time at the network.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/dan-patrick-and-keith-olbermann-host-sportscenter-together-for-first-time-in-22-years.html|title=Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann host SportsCenter together for first time in 22 years|date=2019-09-07|website=Awful Announcing|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-10|archive-date=2019-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923082203/https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/dan-patrick-and-keith-olbermann-host-sportscenter-together-for-first-time-in-22-years.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===2020s===
{{See also|Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports}}

On March 11, 2020, the NBA announced that it would suspend the [[2019–20 NBA season]] indefinitely following the conclusion of that night's games as a result of [[Rudy Gobert]] testing positive for [[COVID-19]] before a game between the [[Utah Jazz]] and the [[Oklahoma City Thunder]] at [[Chesapeake Energy Arena]] in Oklahoma City, which caused the game to be initially postponed. The following day, all of the other major sports leagues followed suit in suspending their seasons for an indefinite period in order to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], and several major [[college basketball]] tournaments were also canceled after plans to initially play the games [[behind closed doors (sport)|without an audience]] fell through. After the cancellations were announced, ESPN aired a special edition of the program chronicling the effects of the pandemic and its impact on sporting events and the athletes' reactions to the pandemic via social media.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

As a result of the pandemic, ESPN significantly reduced the production of ''SportsCenter'', which at the time aired live three times each weekday (noon, 6:00 and 11:00&nbsp;p.m., all times Eastern) and twice each on Saturday and Sunday.

Beginning with the weekend of September 12, 2020, and also, the week of September 14, 2020, ''SportsCenter:AM'' returned to its regularly-scheduled daily 7:00&nbsp;a.m. ET time slot. On weekdays, the first hour of the show is now aired on ESPN from 7–8 a.m. ET, with the remaining two hours on ESPN2 from 8–10 a.m. ET. On weekends, ESPN airs a two-hour block of the show from 7–9 a.m. ET.

On August 29, 2022, ''SportsCenter'' debuted a newly revamped Studio X, complete with a larger LED video wall, new LED monitors and a bigger news desk to accommodate in-studio guests.  Studio X underwent a second revamp the following summer and on September 7, 2023 (coincidentally the 44th anniversary of ESPN's launch), ''SportsCenter'' returned to the main news desk in the same studio, starting with that day's inaugural 2pm ET edition (which replaced the noon ET edition; that time slot has since been filled by ''The Pat McAfee Show'').

In February 2025, ESPN announced a new version of SportsCenter, ''SC+'', which will air exclusively on [[Disney+]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=
New SportsCenter Show, SC+, to Debut Monday, March 3 Exclusively on Disney+|url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2025/02/new-sportscenter-show-sc-to-debut-monday-march-3-exclusively-on-disney/|last=Panitz|first=Bea|date=February 2025|access-date=March 2, 2025|website=ESPN Press Room}}</ref>