ESPN On Track for Downtown Broadcasts in 2009
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The Times today takes a look at ESPN's plans for their space at LA Live. The sports broadcaster is building two studios in the complex, and will be moving the late Sportscenter out here when work is completed in Spring of 2009.
The five-story ESPN building that is taking shape will house an ESPN Zone restaurant on the first two floors and two television production studios with digital control rooms on upper floors. One studio will become home for the late-night edition of its signature "SportsCenter" that now is produced on the busy Bristol campus. ESPN also will house its 710 radio station studios next door in an office building now under construction.
... ESPN's L.A. facility will incorporate perches in the upper floors where cameras will be able to get a bird's-eye view of downtown, including the pedestrian plaza off Chick Hearn Court that fills up with people whenever there are events at Staples Center and the Nokia Theatre.
As the piece mentions, this is a highly technical build-out. Once the building construction itself is done there will still be a long process to fit the space with all the latest in broadcast gear, hence the Spring 2009 open date. ESPN's involvement in this project is important for more than just its potential to show off Downtown L.A. The move is really a balance shift for sports coverage that is traditionally very east-coast heavy.
D on December 18, 2007, at 02:41PM – #1
That last point you make is the most important part. These guys are so East Coast centered that its sickening. I wish they had a ground floor studio, it would have been interesting to see the crowd with both FSN and ESPN studios facing each other. Cant wait. this is going to be huge for DTLA.
JDRCRASHER on December 20, 2007, at 11:10AM – #2
Wasn't it supposed to be October 2008?
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on December 20, 2007, at 11:12AM – #3
JDR: No. ESPN's build out was always supposed to take well into 2009. When I've talked to AEG officials they've always said that actual studio operations would be one of the last things to open, just because of how long interior build out for ESPN's needs will take after the building itself is complete.
Naturallawyer on December 20, 2007, at 11:44AM – #4
I think the ESPN restaurant is supposed to be ready in late 2008 though. If that place is anything like the one in downtown DC, it will be a lot of fun.
Desert Bruin on December 20, 2007, at 02:22PM – #5
They'd better plan on having their outdoor cameras focused on more than that plaza with it's regiment of cyclops (sheer dystopia there). They ought to have cameras at choice locations all over downtown.
p.s. - love that pic of the sculpture fronting 400 South Hope from the Downtown Shoot last weekend. Reminds me of a letter to the editor of the Downtown News from way back when. Something about a connection between Arnie from television's L.A. Law (next door) and the artwork being a symbol of shredded virility. Everyone howled!