ESPN will air its “Last Dance” Chicago Bulls documentary uncensored, with a censored option on ESPN2. Also: the PGA Tour reportedly plans to announce a return date of June 11; ESPN and NFL Network have made their NFL Draft plans official; ESPNers are taking pay cuts.
ESPN to air “Last Dance” unbleeped, with censored version on ESPN2
Each episode of the ten-part ESPN 30 For 30 “The Last Dance” will air on both ESPN and ESPN2, airing uncensored on the former and with profanity edited out on the latter, Variety reported Wednesday. In a statement to variety, ESPN EVP/content Connor Schell said the decision allows “[a]ll members of the family” to watch.
The series is by no means the first ESPN documentary to air with uncensored language, though the censored simulcast is a possible first. [Variety 4.15]
PGA Tour to announce June 11 return
The PGA Tour is expected to announce this week that it will attempt to resume its season on June 11 at a rescheduled Colonial invitational, Golf Digest reported Tuesday. The Colonial, currently scheduled for May 21-24, would take the spot on the calendar originally held by the Canadian Open, which would be canceled.
Other PGA Tour scheduling changes reported by Golf Digest include the move of the Memorial from June 4-7 to July 16-19, the slot previously held by the now-canceled British Open. The year-old tournament in Detroit would move from May 28-31 to July 2-5, the spot previously held by the St. Jude Invitational, which will move to the July 30-August 2 slot previously reserved for the Olympic Games.
As previously noted, the PGA Tour announced last week new dates for the three majors still planning to be contested in 2020. [Golf Digest 4.14]
ESPN, NFL Network, announce NFL Draft plans
As originally reported by NBC Sports last week, ESPN and NFL Network will share a joint NFL Draft broadcast next week based primarily at ESPN Bristol, Conn. studios. The broadcast, which was officially announced Monday, will be hosted by ESPN’s Trey Wingo with analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Louis Riddick and Booger McFarland. An NFL Network contingent of Rich Eisen, Daniel Jeremiah, Michael Irvin and Kurt Warner will appear remotely.
The telecast will also include interviews conducted by Suzy Kolber and reporting by Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen, all done remotely.
In addition to the ESPN/NFL Network broadcast, ABC for the second-straight year will produce its own draft telecast. Its coverage will be hosted by Rece Davis, Maria Taylor and Jesse Palmer in Bristol. The trio will be joined remotely by Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and David Pollack. [ESPN PR 4.13]
Plus: ESPN pay cuts, Steinbrenner, Causi
ESPN has asked “about 100” of its highest paid broadcasters to take a temporary pay cut during the ongoing pandemic and several — including Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Dick Vitale and Scott Van Pelt — have accepted, according to the New York Post. … New York Yankees co-chair Hank Steinbrenner died Tuesday at age 63 due to an undisclosed “long-standing health issue.” … Longtime New York Post photographer Anthony Causi died Sunday after a three-week battle with COVID-19. Causi, 48, had been with the Post for 26 years. [NYP 4.13 a, b, ESPN.com 4.14]
