ESPN to Debut First Late-Night Series in August

College-themed series to air on ESPNU; will look at sports and pop culture through social media

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/18/2012 12:09:36 PM

ESPN will premiere its first late-night series, UNITE, on its college sports network ESPNU on Aug. 27.

UNITE will air live Monday through Friday at midnight from the ESPN's studio's in Bristol, Conn. The series will look at sports and pop culture through a social media lens, using a specially designed aggregation tool to monitor social trends, and follow Twitter and Facebook posts and YouTube vidoes and photos. UNITE will feature three yet-to-be announced hosts.

"The way people consume entertainment has shifted dramatically, and continues to evolve by the day. There is a unique opportunity to provide sports news and humor through new avenues," said Yaron Deskalo, the show's coordinating producer. "Some things on UNITE you will recognize as late-night entertainment staples -- a couch, guests and, of course, an in-studio musical act -- will all be part of the show, but not necessarily in the way you've seen it done before."

As part of ESPNU's Campus Connection program, UNITE has selected more than 35 journalism schools to serve as the show's "School Board" to provide insights from around the quad on breaking news and trending topics. The voices of the student body, athletes and fans will be thread throughout with live tweeting, on-campus photos and videos nightly.

"An authentic late-night entertainment show for a new generation of sports fans is an idea we have been pursuing for several years," said Rosalyn Durant, VP, ESPNU. "We want to connect with some of the most passionate college fans -- college students -- at the intersection of sports and pop culture."