article by Brian Steinberg via Variety.com
ESPN’s early-evening edition of “SportsCenter” will soon become a “His & Hers” affair.
Michael Smith and Jemele Hill, who have co-hosted “His & Hers” on ESPN2 since June of 2013 and the show was known under a different title, will take the hosting reins at ESPN’s 6 p.m. “SportsCenter” on February 6, 2017, the day after Super Bowl LI.
They will replace the broadcast’s current anchor, Lindsay Czarniak, who will go on maternity leave in early November and return next year in a new role that will be announced later. Both hosts have signed new, multi-year deals with the Walt Disney-owned sports network.
Smith and Hill will place emphasis on putting sports headlines in context, King said. “By 6 p.m. and 3 p.m. on the West Coast, we understand that audiences have pretty much come across the headlines that have happened in the course of a day, either through social content, or through mobile or digital content,” said King. “What they actually really need is a sense of why it matters, and a sense of context, as opposed to just news.”
The format of the new “SportsCenter” edition is expected to be more conversational, and feature commentary and opinion from Hill and Smith. The show will continue to set up big sports events of the night with newsmaker and analyst interviews.
“His & Hers” has its roots in a podcast the two hosts continue to produce. Their ESPN2 show was originally known as “Numbers Never Lie,” and was co-hosted by Smith and Charissa Thompson, The idea was to dazzle fantasy-sports fans with stats and analytics. Over time, the program evolved and Smith and Hill hit upon a unique chemistry that King says will be very evident on ESPN at 6 p.m. “We think it’s a pretty good model to match up a unique point of view, a unique voice, with a time of day,” he said.
To read full article, go to: http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/michael-smith-jemele-hill-espn-sportscenter-1201885563/