Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
We had antibacterial wipes everywhere, says Jay Bilas.
ACC commissioner John Swofford walked onto the floor of the Greensboro Coliseum.
I recall feeling,This is tone-deaf, man.
I think I even said that on the air.
I knew it couldnt go on.
What is going to be on the air in lieu of live sports and talking about live sports?
I dont know the answer to that.
Thats above my pay grade.
What I know is that everything is on hold.
Theres a level of uncertainty to business being conducted that I have never seen before.
The threat of COVID-19, however, has created an urgent need forsocial distancing.
Large crowds are potentially dangerous vectors of viral transmission.
That UFC fight, unsurprisingly, was shown on ESPN.
It likely will be the companys last broadcast of a live athletic competition for the foreseeable future.
The NBA has announced that its suspension will last a minimum of 30 days.
MLB doesntexpect to resume play until at least mid-May.
Those time frames increasingly appear optimistic.
ESPN spenta reported $8 billionfor live sports rights in 2017.
This is a lot different than the typical lull in the summer.
You have to survive those moments, and something always carries the narrative of those moments.
But now sports is at a complete standstill.
The vibe I got was to loosely be prepared.
Nothing can replace the draw of live sports.
Still, ESPN will have to airsomething.
Will that be enough?
Theres going to have to be a lot of creativity, Hill says.
Still, the specter ofa deep and painful economic recessionlooms.
Right now, its all about health and safety.
All we have had is our bosses checking on everybody, asking, How are you doing?
Let us know if you need anything.
But at some point, the math is the math.
In addition to covering COVID-19, people at ESPN are trying to avoid the virus.
Bilas and many others who can work from home have started to do so.
But programs such asSportsCenterrequire some people to be in their offices and on set.
Whenever there was a flu, it went around ESPN, Hill says.
The bullpen forSportsCenteris a mosh of producers, production assistants, and talent all in one confined area.
You cant socially distance your way to putting on live television every day.
The company has come through sudden disruption before.
By the time the South Tower collapsed, he was on the phone with ESPN executive Norby Williamson.
We went speechless, says Ley, who retired last year.
Holy shit.I said I would shave and shower and be in.
Ley arrived at the networks Bristol, Connecticut, headquarters by late morning.
ESPN had been broadcasting ABCs news coverage.
Death tolls were rising.
The country was in shock.
Others felt that it was still affecting sports, and that we needed to put a historical record down.
ESPN decided to air a single, one-hour edition ofSportsCenter, hosted by Ley and Trey Wingo.
At the start of the broadcast, a somber Leytold viewersthat sports is an afterthought.
We fully appreciate that.
We know you do as well.
For roughly a week, sports were suspended.
Ley and his colleagues dutifully covered the fallout, and were ready when the games resumed.
ESPN has a proven ability to strategize through problems and react well, he says.
Whatever they do, it will be well thought out.
But its a huge challenge.
You get through today, tomorrow.
Then you have to get through April.
Saturday was the same thing.
Typically in mid-March, Bilas would be on the road, covering basketball.
But otherwise, Im doing social distancing.
Its a strange time.
Were committed to keeping our readers informed.Weve removed our paywall from essential coronavirus news stories.
