When TMZ posted news of Kobe Bryant's death on Sunday at 2:24pm ET, ESPN's top execs scrambled to not only confirm the story, but also to plan for nearly four consecutive hours of commercial-free news. ESPN Exec VP/Content Connor Schell said, "There's no playbook for something like this. It's a bunch of people who are making their best judgments in the moment on how to handle it." ESPN first got the news on the air at 3:01pm, on ESPN2's bottom line. A minute later, ESPN and "SportsCenter" tweeted the news from their respective accounts. Joe Tessitore announced the news on ESPN's Pro Bowl telecast at 3:02pm. Because of contractual commitments, ESPN had to carry the Pro Bowl on its main channel. At 3:08pm, it had "SportsCenter" up-and-running on ESPN2. ABC News and ESPN regularly broke into the Pro Bowl with updates. ESPN Senior VP/Production & Content Strategy Jill Frederickson and "SportsCenter" Senior Coordinating Producer Jack Obringer quickly made the decision that ESPN2's coverage would run commercial free. ESPN had not gone commercial free in such a manner since Muhammad Ali died nearly four years ago (John Ourand, SBJ Media).
TOUGH CALL: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth notes ESPN and ABC's decision to put its live coverage of the Bryant news on ESPN2 was "beyond awkward" and was "bordering on disrespectful." Whatever NFL contracts ABC/ESPN "felt it had to honor in this situation, the broadcaster came off as rather tone deaf." Until it could give "full coverage to L.A.-based studio hosts Zubin Mehenti and Michael Eaves, in an L.A. Live building just across the street from Staples Center where fans were gathering in tribute, it finally seemed as if the network figured things out." Eaves brought a "personal touch based on his professional relationship with Bryant" (L.A. TIMES, 1/28).
CELEBRATING KOBE'S LIFE: NBA on TNT will feature a tribute to Bryant with a one-hour pregame show tonight at 7:00pm ET. Studio coverage throughout the night will be live from Staples Center. TNT's pregame, halftime and postgame coverage -- all primarily focused on Bryant -- will originate from Staples Center, which was slated to host the postponed Clippers-Lakers game. Tonight's revised single-game lineup will now feature Celtics-Heat at 8:00pm. Meanwhile, the net's new NBA on TNT Tuesday Night franchise with host Adam Lefkoe will premiere on Feb. 4 (Turner Sports). Meanwhile, Showtime will air the '15 documentary "Kobe Bryant's Muse" several times this week, beginning tonight at 7:00pm ET. Immediately following the documentary, Showtime will air a December '19 sit-down interview Bryant conducted with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson (Showtime).
KEEPING UP APPEARANCES: In N.Y., Rachel Abrams reports the Washington Post "suspended one of its reporters, Felicia Sonmez, after she posted tweets on Sunday" about Bryant in the hours after his death. Sonmez "posted a link on Twitter to a 2016 Daily Beast article that detailed an allegation of sexual assault" made against Bryant in '03. Sonmez "received an email" from Washington Post Exec Editor Martin Baron at 5:38pm ET, "before she was told that she would be placed on leave." Baron wrote, "Felicia, a real lack of judgment to tweet this. Please stop. You're hurting this institution by doing this" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/28).
