Olbermann is moving to a new time slot. Beginning Monday, Sept. 8, Keith Olbermann’s Emmy-nominated program will air at 5 p.m. ET daily on ESPN2. The shift continues the trend of ESPN2 emphasizing the personalities in its lineup, as ratings have grown.
The move will also allow Olbermann the opportunity to host certain editions of SportsCenter, said Norby Williamson, executive VP of program scheduling and development.
“We feel that strategically shifting the time of this show will not only provide access to a broader audience, but gives us greater flexibility for Keith to do cross-platform opportunities, including hosting key editions of SportsCenter surrounding major news or events throughout the year, while enabling us to secure a more consistent time slot to showcase his distinctive voice,” Williamson said.
Olbermann’s show will not change drastically. While the program will spotlight new analytical and offbeat highlights, it will still feature an opening monologue and the “World’s Worst” segment as well as interviews and contributors.
“I’m very proud that we’ve accomplished what John Skipper asked me to do more than a year ago,” Olbermann said. “We’ve established a franchise, thwarted what we thought might have developed into an external challenge, and made the world safe for even more and even newer dumb catchphrases.”
In its first year on the air, Olbermann got traction despite often starting late due to live sports coverage running overtime. The show launched during the 2013 U.S. Open, challenging some fans eager to sample or capture on DVR.
New York City will continue to be the home of Olbermann, which is produced live from ABC’s Times Square studios. The show, in its new time slot, will be followed by Outside the Lines, hosted by Bob Ley, at 5:30 p.m.
“The back to back positioning of two powerhouse journalistic voices such as Keith and Bob within our ESPN2 programming is perfect for a network that is enjoying strong ratings growth this year,” Williamson added.
