ESPN is ending production of its Los Angeles-based “SportsCenter” after more than 15 years — but it’s not quite the end of the iconic sports news program. The production is being relocated back to its headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut to be restructured.
The move impacts 35 employees out of the 229 Disney and ESPN staff based at the L.A. Production Center. Affected employees face a difficult choice: relocate across the country to Bristol to keep their positions, accept similar roles elsewhere, or take severance packages if they choose not to move.
“Based on our current business needs, we are relocating the L.A.-based ‘SportsCenter’ and soccer studio shows to ESPN’s Bristol headquarters, including the limited number of employee positions related to these shows,” ESPN said in a statement.
The final “SportsCenter” from Los Angeles will air on Friday, May 16. The L.A. studio has produced a nightly West Coast edition of the show starting at 10 p.m. Pacific, allowing coverage of late-running games and providing easier access to athletes and celebrities in the entertainment hub.
ESPN’s L.A. Production Center, located across from Crypto.com Arena in the L.A. Live complex, first opened on April 6, 2009. While the original vision was to leverage the location for more in-person interviews with star athletes and celebrities, the television and sports interview business models have changed dramatically since then.
Along with “SportsCenter,” ESPN’s soccer programming is also being relocated to Bristol. Most of the talent for ESPN FC (the network’s soccer show) has already moved back to Connecticut.
Despite these changes, the L.A. facility will remain operational for now.
“The Los Angeles Production Center will continue to host ESPN’s NBA studio productions and provide office space to additional L.A.-based employees,” ESPN confirmed. Other smaller productions will also remain based in Los Angeles.
The network’s late-night “SportsCenter” will continue its 1 a.m. ET broadcast schedule, but will now originate from Bristol rather than Los Angeles.