If there’s anything that sports fans have learned all too well over the years, it’s that sometimes networks have a hard out to make room for the local news and other programming. And even if the game or event you’re watching is coming down to its critical final moments, you’re out of luck.
That appears to have been the case for the 2024 ESPYS on Thursday night thanks to a late start caused by Joe Biden’s press conference and a hard-out requirement at 11:30 p.m. ET for local news.
For viewers in Eastern and Central time zones, the ceremony was in the middle of a video package about the 2023 Hawaii wildfire when it awkwardly cut to a different portion of the show about Prince Harry, winner of the Pat Tillman Award for Service, followed by an abrupt cut to the closing credits and then commercials.
Well, The ESPY Awards ended abruptly. #ESPYS pic.twitter.com/0EeYEkDdm3
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 12, 2024
It appears that it may have been a technical glitch and may not impact viewers in the Mountain Time Zone and Pacific Time Zone.
Had the ceremony been broadcast on ESPN, it likely wouldn’t have been an issue. However, since it was broadcast on ABC, local affiliates didn’t have to remain with the show in its entirety, especially when it butted up against their nightly news.
The 2024 ESPYS were preempted by a President Joe Biden press conference, which delayed the start and is a likely culprit for part of why it ended so awkwardly.
During Biden’s press conference, a graphic was shown on some affiliates that read: “The ESPYS will be seen in its entirety in the East and Central Time Zones following this special report from ABC News.”
Sometimes, local affiliates will make exceptions for certain TV events that run long, such as the Academy Awards or Monday Night Football. It’s unlikely that they looked at the ESPYS as being on the same level as those shows, which command much larger audiences.
[ABC/ESPN]
