With the sports world on an indefinite hiatus, ESPN is facing a vast programming void. patrick_hruby reports
An empty Madison Square Garden after the Big East tournament was cancelled on March 12. Photo: John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images “We had antibacterial wipes everywhere,” says Jay Bilas. “Hand sanitizer. You name it.” It was last Thursday afternoon, and the longtime ESPN analyst was about to announce an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball tournament game between Clemson and Florida State.
The BNP Paribas Open was cancelled at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 8. Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images “What is going to be on the air in lieu of live sports and talking about live sports?” Bilas says. “I don’t know the answer to that. That’s above my pay grade. What I know is that everything is on hold. There’s a level of uncertainty to business being conducted that I have never seen before.”
A lone skater at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. after the NHL suspended its season on March 12. Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images ESPN spent a reported $8 billion for live sports rights in 2017. The company has nine cable channels and a streaming service, which adds up to over 200 hours of daily programming.
The doors of Seattle’s T-Mobile Park on March 15, after the MLB cancelled spring training and delayed opening day. Photo: Abbie Parr/Getty Images Will that be enough? After hosting SportsCenter last Thursday night, anchor Scott Van Pelt returned home to find an email from members of the company’s social-media team, suggesting they use the hashtag #SeniorDay as a way to celebrate high-school and college athletes whose seasons and careers were cut short.
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