ESPN has announced a new primetime newsmagazine, E:60. According to ESPN: “The name is a play on the “360” concept, reflecting the show’s philosophy to approach its storytelling from all angles – from the way it shoots interviews and reporter-producer meetings, chronicles reporters’ experiences, and tells compelling stories, to the multimedia platforms that will deliver E:60’s high-quality content.”
ESPN has recently made a push to promote ESPN360, the network’s broadband video site, which is expanding its live sports coverage to more than 2,000 live events over the next year. E:60 looks to be a logical extension of the ESPN360 brand.
A stable of ESPN reporters, including Jeremy Schaap, Lisa Salter and Michael Smith will both report and act as hosts, with guest reporters and commentators filling in periodically.
To differentiate itself from other newsmagazines, such as ESPN’s own Outside the Lines, E:60 will feature extensive behind the scenes looks at how the reporters create the stories, from pitching the ideas and creating storylines to interviewing subjects.
ESPN will distribute E:60 content across many of the network’s new media platforms, including ESPN.com, ESPN360, ESPN The Magazine, mobile TV and podcasts.
E:60 will debut on ESPN October 16th at 7PM, with another four episodes scheduled for this year’s run. The newsmagazine will return next April with the first of ten additional E:60 episodes.
