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BRISTOL, CT — ESPN will bring its 45 years of sports coverage to a close as it shifts to exclusively covering the WNBA. After originating the 24-hour sports news cycle and becoming a household staple behind its flagship show "Sportscenter", the network had steadily moved away from sports over the past decade to start covering the WNBA. With ESPN canceling its contract with Major League Baseball, the network has officially shut down its last relationship with a sports league. "We want to bring our audience something besides sports. We want to bring them the WNBA," announced ESPN President James Pitaro....

ESPN SEC Network host and analyst Paul Finebaum said he is “considering” leaving the Worldwide Leader to run for the US Senate on the republican ticket following the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In a recent interview with OutKick’s Clay Travis, the 70-year-old Finebaum explained that “one or two people in Washington had reached out” to gauge his interest in politics — and that Kirk’s murder fueled a desire for him to be involved. “It’s hard to describe, not being involved in politics, how that affected me and affected tens of millions of people all over this country....

Disney (DIS) has had a rough week. It faced a massive boycott from customers after briefly pulling the plug on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” a late-night talk show on ABC. The decision to suspend the show came after comedian Jimmy Kimmel made jokes relating to President Donald Trump’s reaction to the death of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Sept. 10. Disney’s decision to cut the show sparked a huge boycott from consumers, who threatened to cancel their Disney vacations and streaming services such as Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Many consumers claimed that canceling the show over Kimmel’s...

The Walt Disney Co. could be forced to choose between salvaging its late-night franchise and protecting a multibillion-dollar partnership with the NFL, according to a report. Well-embedded sources predicted to the news site Front Office Sports that the House of Mouse “may ultimately have to make a hard choice” that “may not be much of a choice at all” — which likely means jettisoning Jimmy Kimmel. The stakes are enormous. ESPN recently struck a blockbuster deal with the NFL, trading a 10% equity stake valued around $2 billion to $3 billion for the league’s NFL Network, RedZone and fantasy football...

Stephen A. Smith on Sunday dismissed news about former Vice President Kamala Harris’s upcoming book, saying, “Who cares what she has to say?” Harris’s book on her 2024 presidential campaign, “107 Days,” will be released on Tuesday. “Well, there’s nothing to elaborate about,” the ESPN commentator said on ABC’s “This Week.” “Who cares what she has to say at this particular moment in time? I hope the book is successful.” Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after former President Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July 2024, called her boss’s decision to run for reelection “reckless” in an...

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- New Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons has been dealing with an L4/L5 facet joint sprain in his back and he may receive an injection before Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions if needed to help him play, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday. Before trading Parsons last week, the Dallas Cowboys prescribed him a five-day course of prednisone, an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid to help him recover from back tightness. They also had him on a physical therapy program. Parsons practiced with the Packers on Monday for the first time and according to several players...

FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys have traded Pro Bowl edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, sources told ESPN. The Cowboys will receive defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks in return, sources told ESPN. Parsons agreed to four-year, $188 million deal with the Packers that includes $120 million fully guaranteed at signing and $136 million total guaranteed, making him the highest-paid non quarterback in NFL history.

Director Spike Lee's multi-part documentary series for ESPN Films about former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a national debate when he protested racial injustice nearly a decade ago, will not be released, the filmmaker and ESPN said. "ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences," ESPN said in a statement to Reuters on Saturday.

ESPN is acquiring the NFL Network and other National Football League media assets, including the linear rights to the league's popular RedZone channel, in a deal that will see the NFL get a 10% equity stake in the all-sports network, it was announced Tuesday night. ESPN will also acquire the NFL's fantasy product and merge it into its existing platform, making ESPN Fantasy Football the official game of the NFL. In a separate deal, the NFL also agreed to license to ESPN other NFL content and intellectual property that will appear on the NFL Network and other assets. The NFL...

Stephen A. Smith has hit back at Michelle Obama. The former First Lady took a jab at Smith's employer, ESPN, name-dropping the longtime host and saying the network's shows were like watching reality television, namely "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." "It’s all a sociological study. They think that sports is better reality TV, I’m like, ‘It’s the same thing.' If I listen to ESPN for an hour, it’s like watching the ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta,’ you know?" Obama said on her brother Craig's "IMO" podcast. "It’s the same drama, and they’re yelling at each other, and they don’t get along,...

Jim Harbaugh’s Legacy Tainted by Mounting NCAA Violations. ‘How Many Level 1 Violations at 1 School Do You Need?’ NCAA President Charlie Baker said, according to an article from ESPN, “At the end of the day, no one believes at this point that Michigan didn't win the national title fair and square.”

Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield was not entertained when he visited the Colosseum in Rome. Hield was at an NBA Summer League game to watch the young players on the Warriors’ roster take on the Utah Jazz on Sunday night. The Warriors won the game 103-93, but it was Hield’s comments on his trip to Italy that caught the attention of the internet. "I was a little disappointed when I went to the Colosseum because I watched ‘Gladiator’ and I thought Maximus was a real warrior," he explained on the ESPN broadcast. "So, I’m going into the Colosseum screaming,...

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith warned on Monday that Democrats will be electorally doomed if they embrace the politics of presumptive Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani of New York City. Mamdani is a democratic socialist and has pushed for a slew of left-wing policies during his campaign, such as city-run grocery stores, a $30 minimum wage, free buses and free childcare. Smith, on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” argued that socialism conflicts with America’s capitalistic values and that socialists would not generally be viable candidates. “Ladies and gentlemen, let me be very, very clear: If the Democratic Party becomes the likes...

ESPN star Stephen A. Smith suggested on Wednesday that Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was responsible for some of the resentment toward her in the WNBA. Smith and "First Take" panelists Monica McNutt and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo broke down the skirmishes between Fever and Connecticut Sun players. Clark was on the receiving end of an eye poke from Sun guard Jacy Sheldon and was then bumped to the floor by Marina Mabrey. Clark and Sun players were talking trash throughout the game as tensions began to rise early and eventually boil over. Fever guard Sophie Cunningham also got into...

ESPN sportstalker Stephen A. Smith continues to delve into political discussions, this time addressing himself to California’s left-wing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom with the warning that the riots in L.A. will likely sink the governor’s 2028 presidential ambitions. In fact, on Monday, Smith said he thinks these insurrectionist riots are just “the latest derailment for the Democratic Party,” Fox News reported. California’s governor is long known to harbor illusions of becoming president. He has been circling a run for the White House at least since 2018. But to date, he has shied away from pulling the trigger and throwing his...

ESPN has built a culture of racism at the network, leading its personalities to become some of the most toxic in all of media. The latest example of this comes from the latest Caitlin Clark nontroversy. In her first game of the season, Clark fouled Angel Reese, who flopped and then tried to start a confrontation. Clark was given a flagrant foul mostly due to Reese’s overreaction, as the foul was a typical foul you would see in any basketball game. Former ESPN personality Robert Griffin III said in the aftermath that Reese “hates” Clark, which is not a crazy...

Even the most powerful figures in the NFL were unable to stop the tush push. A proposed ban of the tush push play that the Philadelphia Eagles have popularized did not receive enough votes at the spring meeting Wednesday in Eagan, Minnesota. Before the vote, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and team owner Jeffrey Lurie spoke to the owners to lobby for the merits of keeping the play. Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the final vote was 22-10 on the proposal, which was submitted by the Green Bay Packers. The proposal needed 24 votes to pass. Among the...

Their wallets were in a Disney World of hurt. A Florida father left online viewers speechless after revealing that he paid nearly $1,400 to take his family of five to Disney World for just one day. A video detailing the exorbitant price tag has amassed over 7.7 million views on X. “Here’s what a day at Disney cost me for a family of five,” explained the unnamed patriarch, who documented the price of tickets, parking, meals and snacks, along with items at the souvenir shops. Before even embarking on the money-hemorrhaging adventure, the dad reportedly shelled out $30 for all-day...

Almost no one sues Disney and wins. That is, until now. Actress Gina Carano has joined former ESPN host Sage Steele in winning a major victory against the media company after a discovery motion has been granted in the former “Mandalorian” star’s wrongful termination suit. According to Glenn Beck, Walt Disney created “the nastiest attorney firm in the history of the world.” “I don’t think there’s any corporation that is more nasty than the Disney Corporation,” he explains on “The Glenn Beck Program,” adding, “The last time I saw somebody win was Sage Steele. That’s two women that have beaten...

Speaking at the National Association of Broadcasters Monday, the ESPN host said people have been pressing him about getting into politics.Stephen A. Smith isn’t jumping into politics just yet—but he’s not ruling it out either. While speaking at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas, the outspoken ESPN star said he’s starting to take the idea of running for president in 2028 a bit more seriously. “I’ve got a good life. I don’t want to be a politician,” he said. “But I won’t close the door.” According to Smith, people have been pressing him more and more about...