The Saturday evening edition of ESPN's flagship program "SportsCenter" was brought to you by MSNBC, the left-leaning cable news channel.
"SportsCenter. Brought to you by MSNBC, because information and facts have never been more important," the announcer said.
That slogan, like the Washington Post's "Democracy Dies in Darkness" and the New York Times "Truth" campaign, is a reference to a renewed interest by the mainstream media in practicing journalism due to the actions of the Trump administration.
SportsCenter now brought to you by MSNBC. Amazing. https://t.co/WGMTfb3WsT
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 14, 2017
ESPN has come under criticism for increased emphasis on left-leaning political commentary, with some conservatives arguing it's the cause of its ongoing financial woes. ESPN's public editor addressed the issue last year, saying even insiders felt a liberal slant at the network had a "stifling effect on discourse inside the company and has affected its public-facing products."
However, ESPN owes much of its recent layoffs to dwindling cable subscriber numbers and expensive rights fees for major sporting events.
