ESPN's Jemele Hill and Michael Smith have signed multiyear extensions with the net and will take over as co-anchors of the 6:00pm ET "SportsCenter" on Feb. 6, the day after Super Bowl LI. Lindsay Czarniak, the current anchor of the 6:00pm show, will go on maternity leave in early November and return next year in a new role to be announced later. A rotation of anchors that includes Zubin Mehenti and Matt Barrie will handle that show after Czarniak leaves and before the current hosts of "His & Hers" take over. ESPN Senior VP/"SportsCenter" & News Rob King called the move the latest "major step in the evolution" of the news program. The revamped "SportsCenter" will follow the pattern of Scott Van Pelt's midnight program with segments produced for both the TV audience and to maximize digital and social sharing (THE DAILY). VARIETY's Brian Steinberg noted the format of the new "SportsCenter" edition is "expected to be more conversational, and feature commentary and opinion from Hill and Smith." The show will "continue to set up big sports events of the night with newsmaker and analyst interviews" (VARIETY.com, 10/11). Hill said, "It won't be a transition, because we plan to be ourselves. We have a great sense of pop culture. We're naturally interested in it and we see how it blurs with sports much more than ever before. We can do that without coming off corny or forced. Or, so we hope" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 10/12).
LONG JOURNEY TO GET HERE: Hill and Smith discussed their new assignments this morning on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike," with Hill noting she and Smith initially worked together on a podcast because they were "frustrated by the fact that we didn't get an opportunity, or we didn't feel like we were getting enough opportunities, to work together." Hill: "Now it's evolved into us hosting one of the premier properties at this network, and it still feels very surreal." She added, "We're sort of examples of those opportunities you feel like you're not getting. ... You'd be surprised at how a missed opportunity, not getting something, winds up into something greater.” ESPN’s Michael Smith said there was a "phase in my career where I was transitioning from an NFL insider into what's next, and I was like, ‘You know what, I always saw myself as an anchor/host’" ("Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 10/12).
SHAKING THINGS UP: In N.Y., Hannah Withiam writes under the header, "How ESPN Is Trying To Save 'SportsCenter.'" The net's "flagship program has raised so many red flags" that ESPN is "trying a shake-up." The net has "taken desperate measures to spice up the show's content and encourage viewers to stick" with the program. ESPN "showed it's committed to that reform plan" by bringing Hill and Smith to "SportsCenter." The personnel change is the "latest in ESPN's effort to tailor each show to the time of the broadcast and the target audience." Withiam: "ESPN is banking on Smith and Hill's conversational style giving the show more personality to make it more appealing to younger generations" (N.Y. POST, 10/12).
HEART OF A CHAMPION: "SportsCenter" anchor Cari Champion has signed a multiyear deal to remain with ESPN. WME-IMG's Sharon Chang represented Champion in negotiations. In addition to her duties on "SportsCenter," Champion also will continue as a contributor to espnW, including her "Be Honest With Cari Champion" podcast. Champion joined ESPN in '12 as host of "First Take" and became a "SportsCenter" anchor in '15 (THE DAILY).
