The Sports Reporters Returns to ESPN Platforms with New Look, Format

For nearly three decades, The Sports Reporters was a staple of Sunday mornings on ESPN. Airing from 1988-2017, the program featured a panel of three accomplished and influential sports journalists and a host discussing notable sports news and issues. The final episode aired May 7, 2017.

But now with a reimagining of the brand, including a new look and format, The Sports Reporters has returned to ESPN platforms just in time for the start of the NFL season.

With Jeremy Schaap in the host role, the new The Sports Reporters debuted on the ESPN YouTube channel today with Schaap in conversation with a rare gathering of play-by-play announcers from networks that air live NFL games. Joe Buck (ESPN), Mike Tirico (NBC), Ian Eagle (CBS) and Kevin Harlan (CBS and Westwood One Sports) weigh in on the upcoming season, issues around the game, and their experiences as voices of pro football.

“This is an opportunity for NFL fans to hear from four of the most experienced voices in the sport in the same discussion, and we thank CBS and NBC for the collaboration” said Andy Tennant, ESPN vice president, production, who is overseeing the revival of The Sports Reporters. “This is the rebirth of an iconic franchise and the possibilities for more collaborations involving other sports are endless.”

In addition to appearing on YouTube, segments from the discussion will appear on SportsCenter, NFL Live and potentially other ESPN television programs.

The new version of The Sports Reporters will appear regularly with different panelists and subjects. Future editions will feature a mix of new panelists and some from the show’s original run.

Schaap, also host of ESPN’s E60 and Outside the Lines, was a frequent panelist and guest host on the original version. He was also the host of Classic Sports Reporters, which ran on ESPN Classic in the early 2000’s. Dick Schaap, Jeremy’s father, was the host of The Sports Reporters from 1988 until his death in 2001, at which time John Saunders took over and hosted until his death in 2016.

The original The Sports Reporters was produced for more than two decades by Joe Valerio, who died in 2021. The ESPN production team behind the revived edition includes Tennant, coordinating producer Vin Cannamela and producer Robbin Dunn.

“As a college kid, I’d spend Sunday mornings in the studio watching my father host The Sports Reporters, and then for many years I had the opportunity to work on the show with Joe Valerio and John Saunders, Mike Lupica, Mitch Albom, Bill Rhoden, Bob Ryan and many others,” said Jeremy Schaap. “So to say that becoming the host of The Sports Reporters is meaningful to me is simply a massive understatement.”

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