ESPN Will Test NBA ‘Retro-Cast’ That Looks Like TV Sports From Decades Past
31.03.2022 - 21:21
/ variety.com
Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorSome people who tune in ESPN2 for an April 6 NBA match-up between the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks may think they’ve gone back in time.The game will open in black and white and use graphics that evoke ABC’s 1960s coverage, then shift to a look that mirrors CBS’ NBA telecasts of the 1970s and 1980s. Look for a presentation that emulates NBC’s 1990s telecasts as well, complete with that network’s signature music.
Viewers may even hear a snippet of the theme from ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” before all is done. Guests will include several top players.
coaches and broadcasters who have been central to the game throughout the years, all part of a tribute to the NBA’s 75th anniversary. A regular broadcast of the game will be available on ESPN.
“The unscripted moments that come from this will ultimately be the best part of it all,” says Tim Corrigan, the ESPN production vice president who oversees basketball coverage. Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and reporter Lisa Salters will provide commentary and Hubie Brown, celebrating his 50th year of calling basketball action (two in the ABA, 40 in the NBA), will join during parts of the broadcast.The NBA “retro-cast,” if one wants to call it that, is just the latest in a series of re-imaginings of typical sports telecasts by ESPN.
The Disney-owned sports-media giant hit upon a successful model in the most recent NFL season with an ESPN2 “ManningCast” opposite “Monday Night Football” that featured Peyton and Eli Manning in loose, informal conversations about football and almost anything else with a bevy of guest stars. ESPN has already unveiled plans to set former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez alongside broadcaster Michael Kay for a
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