ESPN Debuts Women-Led Sports Show ‘Vibe Check’ On Disney+

When sports broadcasters Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike took the stage May 14 for Disney’s Upfronts presentation announcing new programming, it marked a new era for ESPN—one led by women.

The trio of ESPN veterans announced they will anchor Vibe Check, a new studio show launching on Disney+ in late June. In a media landscape still dominated by male viewpoints, Vibe Check will bring women’s voice to the forefront, showcasing sports analysis and conversations on their terms.

“Sports is the great equalizer,” Mike Foss, ESPN’s senior vice president of Sports Studio & Entertainment, said. “Women play sports. Men play sports. Women are fans of sports. They talk about sports.”

Flexible Format Meets Streaming Audiences

Vibe Check’s arrival comes at an explosive time for women’s sports. ESPN viewers spent 54% more time watching women’s sports in 2023, including WNBA, college basketball, gymnastics and volleyball, Duncan said at the Upfronts launch.

Vibe Check will offer three episodes a week, ranging from about 30-45 minutes, providing analysis, behind-the-scenes access and informed opinions across all sports. It joins SC+ on the Disney+ platform, which launched March 3 as a daily digital version of SportsCenter.

“There’s been a ton of energy around ESPN programming within Disney+,” Foss said. “In those collaborations with Disney, they wanted more original programming, and specifically sports programming within studio. The idea emanated both from the great traction that SC+ has received, along with our ability to deliver high-quality sports studio programming.”

Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter And Chiney Ogwumike to Lead Panel

While Duncan, Carter and Ogwumike are the show’s primary hosts, Foss Vibe Check will feature many of ESPN other respected female voices, including Hannah Storm, Laura Rutledge and Holly Rowe.

Topics for the show will reflect the hosts’ connection with and commitment to women’s sports, but Foss said Vibe Check will be more broadly focused and curated around its panelists’ interests in all sports.

“If there’s an opportunity, and seasonally speaking it’s relevant to discuss women’s volleyball, we’re absolutely going to fit that in,” Foss said. “Right now, the WNBA season just began, so if we were to do a show today, that’s going to be basketball heavy.

“It’s looking at the sports calendar and being able to measure the events that are resonating with fans.”

Passion-Driven Coverage, Not A Gimmick

The decision to anchor the show with women might generate some skepticism, but Foss said the show is rooted in the talent and interests among ESPN’s anchors and analysts.

“The thesis behind the show is not rooted in a gimmick,” he said. “We have people who are passionate about sports, and my belief is that you put those people in positions to showcase their passion and their authenticity.”

While the launch of a new talk-format show may be questioned at a time that legacy panels like “Around the Horn” are being sunsetted, Foss said the interest in sports has never been higher.

“Fandom is at an all time high,” he said. “The vessels that we create to reflect that need to be a reflection of the time that we’re in right now.”

A Strategic Move Toward Streaming

ESPN’s goal now is to match the level of fandom with offerings that meet consumers where they are and where they are going.

That includes a future focused on direct-to-consumer offerings and a commitment to digital on-demand engagement.

“It’s being in tune to your audience and understanding what your audience wants,” he said. “For me, it’s creating [shows] with the right inputs and lessons that we’ve learned along the way but then being very open to what it could become.”