Walt Disney World To Discontinue ESPN The Weekend Event

Walt Disney World “will no longer host ESPN The Weekend,” according to Jeff Weiner of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. Walt Disney World Sports Media Dir Darrell Fry on Friday “took to the Disney Parks blog to deliver the news.” Fry wrote during the event's run at Disney, "our relationship with ESPN has evolved significantly and positively." He cited the “recent ESPN rebranding of the Wide World of Sports complex.” Fry noted that the resort “plans to develop new events, like the ESPN RISE Girls Showcase and the ESPN RISE Games.” He wrote those events "provide a stage for tens of thousands of athletes from around the country." ESPN The Weekend has been held at the Central Florida resort since the event's founding in '04, with the most recent edition held this year in early March (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 7/23).