Skip to content
WorldBrand.AI

ESPN controversies

Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.

Back to profile3 entries

  1. 2021

    ESPN disputes Big 12 allegations

    Company response

    ESPN sent a letter to the Big 12 disputing the conference’s allegations that ESPN had engaged in conduct intended to harm the Big 12 and secure financial benefits for ESPN. ESPN called the claims baseless and denied wrongful conduct.

    Company response

    • Denial — ESPN

      To be clear, ESPN has engaged in no wrongful conduct and, thus, there is nothing to 'cease and desist.'

    Source excerpt

    • ESPN fired back at the Big 12 on Thursday with a letter disputing the allegations made by the conference and commissioner Bob Bowlsby.
    • ESPN said Thursday that the Big 12's claims were baseless.
    • The Big 12 sent ESPN a cease and desist letter on Wednesday saying the network "has taken certain actions that are intended to not only harm the Big 12 Conference but to result in financial benefits for ESPN."
    Source

  2. 2020

    ESPN apologizes for NFL Draft graphic

    Company response

    ESPN apologized after an on-screen graphic about Tee Higgins' mother's drug addiction was shown during its NFL Draft coverage. The network said the graphic was a mistake and that it lacked proper context. The apology addressed the display of the graphic itself, which concerned Higgins' mother's drug addiction, and ESPN characterized the incident as an error rather than an intentional editorial choice.

    ESPN apologized for an on-screen graphic about Tee Higgins’ mother’s drug addiction, saying it was a mistake and that the graphic lacked proper context.

    Company response

    • Apology — ESPN

      “It was a mistake and we apologize for it,” ESPN vice president of production Seth Markman told the newspaper in a statement Sunday.

    Source excerpt

    • “It was a mistake and we apologize for it,” ESPN vice president of production Seth Markman told the newspaper in a statement Sunday.
    • ESPN is apologizing for an on-screen graphic displayed while covering former Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins, who was drafted No. 33 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft.
    • That aspect of the production may not be around in 2021, ESPN senior vice president for production Seth Markman told NBC Sports.
    Source

  3. 2019

    ESPN settles harassment lawsuit

    Settlement

    ESPN reached a settlement with former on-air personality Adrienne Lawrence, who had sued alleging sexual harassment. The settlement terms were not disclosed, and the lawsuit was to be dismissed.

    Source excerpt

    • In an agreement filed Dec. 12 in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, Adrienne Lawrence agreed to dismiss her lawsuit.
    • “Adrienne Lawrence and ESPN have resolved their dispute and agreed to move on,” ESPN said in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday.
    • ESPN has reached a settlement with a former on-air personality who sued the cable sports giant alleging sexual harassment.
    Source