ESPN will present some fancy footwork during its telecasts of the Women’s Final Four.
For six years, ESPN found success with Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi at the helm of a special ESPN2 “altcast” aimed at providing a different option than traditional game coverage during the college basketball tournament. With those two former players retiring from active play and getting more involved with outside ventures, the Disney-backed sports-media giant is trying a different tack. “Courtside,” will rely on a wider panel of personalities and will be hosted by Jess Sims.
Her guests will include Olympic bronze medalist Ilona Maher for both semifinal games, as well as the championship; WNBA players Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams, also known as the ‘StudBudz,’ will serve as analysts for both semifinals on Friday; six-time WNBA All-Star Chelsea Gray, who will be present as a guest analyst during Sunday’s national championship; and ESPN sports creator Katie Feeney, who will offer up roaming interviews and reactions from fans.
In an intriguing production twist, the group will sit right at courtside, a dynamic producers expect to inject some extra energy into the program. “Courtside” will air on Friday, April 3 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and Sunday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.
“We are thrilled to debut our re-imagined Alt-Cast at the Women’s Final Four,” said Meg Aronowitz, senior vice president, production, in a prepared statement. “With Ilona, Natisha, Courtney, Chelsea, Jess, Katie and a dynamic lineup of guests, ‘Courtside’ will deliver a fresh, authentic perspective on the game. By placing this group right at courtside, we’re creating an immersive experience that brings fans closer than ever — capturing the energy of the arena while also delivering insight, personality and fun.”
So-called “alterna-casts” have become all the rage among sports broadcasters, with ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery and Amazon among those experimenting with the format. These concepts run alongside a traditional broadcast of a game, with a different set of hosts holding forth, usually in less formal circumstances.
Sims may find herself in her element. She has served as a sideline reporter for some of the season’s most high-profile women’s basketball matchups. She is also a weekly contributor to “College GameDay.”
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining ESPN’s ‘Courtside’ in its first year,” said Maher. “We are going to see some fantastic games and we’re ready to have some fun right next to the action.”
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