ESPN Classic - Cessation of Original Programming

Cessation of Original Programming

On January 14, 2007, Deadspin.com reported that ESPN Classic would no longer create or air original programming. It was not immediately clear what would replace that programming, however, it was assumed that such shows already produced, but not yet aired, would be broadcast at least for a few more months.

Over the next few months, new episodes of Missing Link, Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame, and Ringside did air as scheduled. However, Missing Link was cancelled in June 2007, at which time production was also halted on the other two shows. The long-term future of ESPN Classic appears to be uncertain.

However, ESPN Classic still airs occasional live sporting events if neither ESPN nor ESPN2 are available to carry them. Some examples from the third quarter of 2007:

• WNBA basketball, Sacramento Monarchs at Seattle Storm, July 31 (originally on ESPN2, moved due to a game in which Barry Bonds attempted to tie the all-time Major League Baseball home run record and ESPN's airing of an episode of The Bronx is Burning). Also, game 1 of that league's Western Conference final between the Phoenix Mercury and the San Antonio Silver Stars on August 30 was moved here, as ESPN2 aired college football between Tulsa and Louisiana-Monroe. (Also, the WNBA did not want the game to start at the originally-scheduled time of 10 p.m. ET as it was being played in San Antonio, Texas, where the local time was 9 p.m. Had the game started at 10 p.m., it would have aired on ESPN2.)

• IndyCar racing, Firestone Indy 400, August 5 (moved from ESPN2 due to rain delay)

• Two preliminary round games of USA Basketball in the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 22 and 23 and the USA vs. Puerto Rico semifinal on September 1 (ESPN2 had obtained rights, but had other program commitments)

• The third quarter of the WNBA playoff game between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun on August 23, 2007. Again, this was scheduled for ESPN2, but there was a game in the Little League World Series preceding it. After an entire half went untelevised, ESPN Classic decided to pull a rebroadcast of a Major League Soccer game in favor of replacing ESPN2 as Chinese Taipei and Japan continued a game that went very long by Little League standards. Japan would win the game in 10 innings, and ESPN2 picked up the coverage in the fourth quarter. Ironically, the WNBA game would set a record for longest playoff game as the Sun defeated the Fever in triple overtime.

• Two Champ Car World Series races in September and one in October (as mentioned above).

Since then, these games or events have been shown live on ESPN Classic:

• The 2008 Indy Japan 300, which was won by Danica Patrick (first female winner of an Indy Car event.
• The entirety of the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Lipton Tea 250. The race was simulcasted with Speed and ESPN360.com, as ESPN2 was obligated to an NBA playoff game during the scheduled time of the race. (ESPN2 would later join the race in progress and air it in its entirety on tape delay.) In addition, the network had planned to air the 2008 Sharpie Mini 300, picking up the coverage from ABC, had it continued; however, NASCAR called the race before its conclusion (171 out of 300 laps) because of rain. Clint Bowyer was declared the race winner.
• The College World Series game between the University of Georgia and Fresno State University on June 22, 2008, as there were a couple of days of rain-outs, and due to a baseball game on ESPN, and drag racing on ESPN2, the game was forced to air on ESPN Classic.
• The following World Cup qualifying matches: United States and Cuba on October 11, 2008, the November 19 match between the United States and Guatemala, and the USA-El Salvador match on September 5, 2009.
• The opening 5 minutes of Winter X Games, on January 30, 2010. The event aired on ESPN2 a few minutes later, due to a Indiana-Illinois game running late.
• The first hour of the Super Regional game between Texas A&M and Florida State on June 11, 2011, due to a rain delay in the Virginia-UC Irvine game.