Concerns are growing over ESPN’s journalistic independence following news that the NFL will acquire a 10% equity stake in the sports network. The deal, part of ESPN’s broader agreement to purchase NFL media assets including the NFL Network, has sparked alarms over conflicts of interest that could compromise sports reporting integrity.
During ESPN’s broadcast of the WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, analyst and WNBA veteran Rebecca Lobo apologized on-air after saying, “That’s what makes America great.” The remark came in response to a review call by officials with which Lobo disagreed.
Former ESPN host and current Atlantic writer Jemele Hill ignited controversy Tuesday night after comparing the national debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports to the historic civil rights struggle for racial equality. Speaking on CNN’s NewsNight with Abby Phillip, Hill suggested that efforts to restrict biological males from competing in women’s sports are akin to past discrimination against Black Americans.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith voiced support Monday for President Donald Trump’s 2024 election win, citing the Democratic Party’s history of manipulating black voters through fear tactics and guilt. Smith, speaking on “CUOMO,” said Democrats failed to deliver real policy solutions and instead leaned on racial division to secure votes—an approach that he said “didn’t work this time.”
ESPN, a network often criticized by conservatives for its left-leaning bias, surprised many during the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship between Notre Dame and Ohio State. During halftime, the network aired a pre-recorded message from President Donald J. Trump, who was inaugurated earlier in the day as the 47th President of the United States.
A heated exchange between New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and ESPN analyst Ryan Clark escalated this week after Rodgers’ recent comments about critics and their vaccination status.
