“OTL” brand and reporters will contribute pieces to other programs, air a few primetime specials
Rich Arden / ESPN Images
ESPN’s long-running investigative journalism series “Outside the Lines” is coming to an end as a daily, half-hour series, ESPN said on Tuesday. Instead, “OTL” will become an hourlong Saturday series.
In addition, the brand and its reporters will contribute segments to other daily ESPN shows across various platforms, like the main cable channel’s “SportsCenter.” Plus, “Outside the Lines” will get a few primetime specials.
There will be no job cuts as a result of the changes, a spokesman for the show tells TheWrap.
“‘Outside the Lines’ remains the quintessential journalism brand of ESPN and this approach better positions it for deeper dives into important topics during the Saturday edition; daily, in-the-moment perspective of breaking news; and more seamless inclusion into ‘SportsCenter,’” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president, event and studio production, and executive editor. “OTL’s team will continue to do what it has always done – create exceptional content, tackle important issues and make a difference in the world of sports. These changes are being made to maximize the impact and resonance of ‘OTL’s’ journalism with sports fans.”
The sports newsmagazine show will mark its 30th anniversary with a one-hour primetime special in May. “OTL” launched as a periodic prime time news program in May of 1990 and 10 years later added a Sunday show before going daily in 2003.
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