BRISTOL, Conn. - For "SportsCenter" fans, it's the most familiar theme music on television: DA-da-DA! DA-da-DA!
Beginning January 1, that music and the "SportsCenter" brand will be coming to the ESPN Outdoors weekend television block with the launch of "BassCenter," a new, half-hour show dedicated to the news and topics of the outdoors world. The show will air Saturdays live at 7 a.m. ET on ESPN2 and reair at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.
"We're going to take a quantum leap forward when we start 'BassCenter' on ESPN2," said Mark Shapiro, Executive Vice President of Programming and Production. "And we're going to cover the entire sport, not just BASS events. We'll delve into other outdoor sports, but it will center on bass fishing, regardless of the tour."
The new show will be a mix of "SportsCenter" tailored to bass fans, and bass fishing produced for sports fans. It will be the anchor show on BASS Saturday, a new ESPN Outdoors programming lineup that combines all bass fishing-related shows in a single, Saturday morning block.
The Saturday morning line-up will also include "Loudmouth Bass," a debate show for outdoors industry news along the lines of ESPN's popular "Pardon the Interruption." Other new shows include "Bass Tech," which will be dedicated to gear and technology to help anglers and outdoorsmen; and "Bassmaster University," which will bring professional expertise to the everyday angler. "The Bassmasters," which follows competition on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, will also air on Saturdays.