ESPN plans to celebrate its silver anniversary in style — and on the air.
"ESPN25" will rope in radio, print and online properties to commemorate the network's run from 1979 through 2004, with 30-plus hours of programming beginning May 31, 2004.
"The Moments," a daily countdown of the 100 most memorable moments during the aforementioned span, will kick things off.
Weekly shows will start on June 8, the first of 14 consecutive Tuesday evenings with shows devoted to the sports revolution of the past 25 years.
Highlights include: a two-hour kick-off special, Then and Now, about how the sports world has changed from 1979 to the present; The Headlines, 13 one-hour shows counting down the 25 biggest sports-related stores; and Who's # 1, a 13-episode weekly look at a different top 25 list, from worst teams and chokes to best plays and games.
A closing two-hour show on Sept. 7, 2004, will review ESPN's evolution over the course.
ESPN25 will be produced by the same group responsible for the Sports Emmy and Peabody Award-winning SportsCentury project, which was headed by Mark Shapiro, now ESPN's executive vice president of programming and production.
The ESPN25 lists will be based upon voting by an updated version of the SportsCentury panel. ESPN anchors, including Chris Berman, Bob Ley, Dan Patrick and Stuart Scott, will host the programs.
