ESPN's 'SportsCenter' Is Leaving Los Angeles, Leading Many to Wonder Why

If you've been a sports fan for any length of time, you're likely aware of the role that SportsCenter has played in awakening many people to the wonders of the game. The show, which is one of ESPN's flagship programs and has been on for decades, is preparing to move to a new home in May as it leaves Los Angeles for the East Coast.

Following the news that the show was moving to the East Coast, many wanted to know why Disney had decided to move it out of Los Angeles. Here's what we know.

ESPN is reportedly planning to broadcast SportsCenter out of its headquarters in Bristol, Conn., and cited "current business needs" as the reason for the move, according to The Los Angeles Times. They didn't provide any additional information on why they had made the transition, and the report also says that ESPN will continue to produce its NBA-focused coverage out of Los Angeles.

The LA Times also reported in March that the 35 employees of ESPN who work on SportsCenter were given the option to either move to continue working on the show or give up their jobs. The current edition of the show is co-anchored by Linda Cohn and Stan Varrett. The late-night edition of the show first started airing in 2009, and usually follows Scott Van Pelt's version of the same program.

Although it remains a staple of many people's media diets, SportsCenter is no longer as central to every sports fan's media diet as it once was. There was a time when it was the almost exclusive home for game recaps and highlights, and it's now facing competition from round-the-clock highlights and coverage available online. Because ESPN can no longer rely on being the only place that sports fans go for coverage, it has had to shift its business model substantially.

Like many linear broadcast networks, ESPN is doubling down on the only thing that it knows will attract eyeballs, which is its coverage of live sporting events. That includes a massive contract that gives them the rights to broadcast NBA games for the next 11 years.

At the same time, the channel has also doubled down on some of its biggest personalities, including people like Stephen A. Smith, who is set to make $20 million as one of the co-hosts of First Take.

SportsCenter is clearly still a part of the network's plans for the future, but its move to Connecticut suggests that it might be less central to their overall objectives than it once was. Even so, it remains one of the most established brands in all of sports TV, and there's no reason to throw that away.

You might be able to watch plenty of basketball highlights on your phone whenever you want, but that doesn't mean that SportsCenter doesn't still bring some value to the table.