(Photo by Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)
The standalone Outside the Lines series has been cancelled by ESPN. The sports news show will end its run on the cable network with this Saturday’s episode. The sports news program has aired for 33 years. However, the Outside the Lines brand will continue on other other shows and platforms, including segments hosted by Jeremy Schaap during Sports Center, per Sports Business Journal.
Outside the Lines launched in 1990 as a monthly news program before it had a daily format. The series now airs weekly on Saturday mornings, and it takes an investigative look at issues in sports. Schaap began hosting the series following the retirement of Bob Ley in 2019.
Low viewership was named a factor in the decision to cancel the long-running sports news program. Currently, the ESPN series is averaging 303,000 viewers.
In related news, Schaap will begin hosting a relaunched Sports Reporters show on ESPN’s YouTube channel in the next few months. The Sports Reporters series ran on ESPN from 1988-2017.
What do you think? Are you a fan of Outside the Lines? Will you miss the Saturday editions?