ESPN is set to debut new anchor pairings for their daytime SportsCenters beginning the second week of February.
One of the biggest changes is the departure of Cari Champion, who was featured on ESPN’s noon edition of SportsCenter. After more than seven years with the network, Champion announced on Twitter she has decided to leave ESPN.
Champion originally joined ESPN in 2012 as host of First Take with Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. In July 2015, Champion became a SportsCenter anchor and began her first stint hosting Coast to Coast the following February. The longtime ESPN personality also had a tenure hosting SportsNation, replacing Michelle Beadle on the show in 2018.
Champion’s Coast to Coast co-host David Lloyd will remain with ESPN, moving from their daily noon show to anchor the 7am edition of SportsCenter Monday-Wednesday. Lloyd will be joined by Hannah Storm each Monday, with Toni Collins co-anchoring the show Tuesday and Wednesday.
Rounding out the 7am weekday SportsCenter will be Nicole Briscoe and Randy Scott who will anchor the morning edition Thursday-Saturday.
Without Champion and Lloyd partnered for Coast to Coast, the noon SportsCenter will no longer be bicoastal, instead originating only from Bristol, CT. The revamped show will feature 90-minute episodes, anchored by Elle Duncan and Matt Barrie Monday -Thursday. Hannah Storm and Jay Harris will co-anchor the Friday edition of the noon SportsCenter.
In addition to their weekday responsibilities, Storm and Harris will also anchor weekend SportsCenter beginning at 9am or 10am, with Duncan and Barrie working the Sunday 7am edition.
“We’re thrilled with the momentum we’ve built before and during the NFL and college football seasons and these adjustments set us up well moving forward,” said Senior Vice President, Production/Content Strategy, Jill Frederickson. “Viewers have embraced the chemistry and camaraderie of the established pairings and we expect Toni and David to seamlessly transition into their new roles.”
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
