- SportsCenter Special: ESPN’s 40, E:60 Game 1, Special Bottom Line, Rapper’s Delight Remix
- Berman Counts Down Top 40 Sports Moments on SportsCenter Starting September 3
- Online Ultimate SportsCenter Quiz, ESPN Archive Channel, Live Stream with Commentators & more
ESPN hit the airwaves September 7, 1979. To commemorate its 40th anniversary, SportsCenter Special: ESPN’s 40, a collection of 40 testimonials from ESPNers past and present, will be televised Friday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The one-hour program will showcase personal stories that connect to the company’s 40-year journey. Interviewees include Chris Berman, George Bodenheimer, Linda Cohn, Bob Ley, Molly Qerim Rose, Bill Rasmussen, Robin Roberts and Stephen A. Smith.
Berman’s Top 40 Countdown
Chris Berman, an ESPN icon who joined a nascent network in September 1979, will count down the top 40 moments in sports since ESPN’s launch. Starting with the 7 a.m. SportsCenter on Tuesday, Sept. 3, Berman will share 10 moments per day across all episodes of the show, culminating with the top 10 moments on Friday, Sept. 6.
E:60 Game 1
Live sports have been a cornerstone of ESPN’s programming since its launch 40 years ago. The first live event – a professional slo-pitch softball game between the Kentucky Bourbons and the Milwaukee Schlitzes – aired the first night, September 7, 1979. This game has not been seen again since the video tapes that recorded that game are missing from the ESPN archives.
The game has been found! On Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m., E:60 Game 1 tells the story of ESPN’s forgotten telecast, and in the process unearths a moment of television history not seen since 1979.
ESPN40 Logo on Bottom Line
For 40 consecutive hours, the ESPN40 logo will be featured on the Bottom Line across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS and ESPNU, starting at 8 a.m. September 6 until midnight on September 7.
Rapper’s Delight Remake
Queen Latifah and Snoop Dogg recorded an ESPN-specific version of Rapper’s Delight, featuring a variety of ESPN on-air commentators. The video will appear across ESPN platforms. The original song, sung by the Sugarhill Gang, debuted September 16, 1979, one week after ESPN’s launch.
Online and Social Elements
ESPN will provide fans engaging, interactive content across ESPN online and social platforms.
- The “Ultimate SportsCenter Quiz” will launch Tuesday, Sept. 3, on ESPN.com and the ESPN App. Fans will have the opportunity to test their knowledge of the iconic brand and the memorable This is SportsCenter commercials.
- The ESPN Archive channel will launch today on YouTube and will feature excerpts from debuts of classic ESPN shows and events including SportsCenter, First Take, College GameDay, Monday Night Football and WNBA. Memorable clips from the ESPN Vault will also be available. Fans will enjoy a comprehensive playlist of the This Is SportsCenter commercials.
- ESPN commentators will celebrate the 40th anniversary and share anecdotes at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, during a live 30-minute, interactive, stream on Twitter, ESPN.com, the ESPN App and Facebook.
- More than 30 interviews and clips from ESPN’s 40 are offered on ESPN.com, the ESPN App and most connected devices
- The ESPN40 logo will take over the @ESPN avatars on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram throughout the day of September 7.
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