'This Is SportsCenter' Returns With U.S. Women's Soccer Stars

ESPN’s deadpan, quirky “This Is SportsCenter” campaign returns this week with its first fresh spot in three years.

The :15 from creative agency Arts & Letters and director Jim Jenkins features soccer stars Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn and Sophia Smith of the U.S. Women’s National Team. They sit on the floor at ESPN HQ with SportsCenter anchor Nicole Briscoe and munch on oranges. Syracuse mascot Otto the Orange hangs back, supremely chill.

This is “This Is SportsCenter,” the real deal fans have known and loved since the work bowed in 1994. It’s quietly off-kilter, oddly edgy and bang on brand. Welcome back, TISC!

“Orange Slices” bows on Friday, Dec. 30, during the Capital One Orange Bowl, which pits No. 6 Tennessee and No. 10 Clemson.

“Since our last shoot in 2019, we have crafted scripts and prepared for when we could shoot on the Bristol campus again with the best athletes in the world,” says Laura Gentile, EVP, commercial marketing at Disney Networks and ESPN. “With incredible events on our sports calendar in the coming days, it’s time for the campaign to return.”

Such programming includes NFL Wild Card matchups, the NCAA football semis and title game, along with NBA and NHL coverage.

Upcoming “This Is SportsCenter” installments will feature athletes including Olympic track and field gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin, ESPN personalities Elle Duncan, Kevin Negandhi, Jay Harris and Hannah Storm, plus additional team mascots. (And maybe more fresh produce—who knows?)

CREDITS

ESPN
Laura Gentile – EVP, ESPN Marketing and Social Media 
Seth Ader – VP, Brand Marketing
Peter Mulally – Senior Director, Brand Marketing
John Lobo – Associate Director, Brand Marketing
Lenny Washington – Marketing Coordinator, Brand Marketing
Stacey Pressman – Director, Talent Production
Katie Hennessey – Sr. Talent Producer
Matt Cheron – Associate Director, Marketing Production
Jonathan Little – Associate Producer II , Marketing Production
Cameron Gross – Associate Producer, Grande & Leonard
David Wimberley – Production Coordinator
Thomas Hamilton – Production Coordinator
J’Ron Erby- Social Media Manager, ESPN Social Content
Jordan Toczynski – Sr. Social Media Specialist, ESPN Social Content
Lauren Giudice – Social Media Manager, ESPN Social Content
Allie Snow – Social Media Specialist 1, ESPN Social Content
Chris Duffy – Director, Talent Management, ESPN Talent Development & Planning
Kalidia Reyes – Talent Relations Manager, ESPN Talent Development & Planning 

Arts & Letters
Charles Hodges – Founder/ECD
Temma Shoaf – Head of Production
Andy Grayson – Director of Strategy
Andrew Kong – Creative Director
NJ Placentra – Creative Director
Molly Jamison – Creative Director
Scott Hayes – Creative
Chris Kim – Creative
Calleen Colburn – Executive Producer
Andrea Rodriguez – Senior Producer
Austin Butler – Assistant Producer
Lenora Cushing – Director of Business Affairs
Jennifer Kmetzsch – Assistant Business Affairs Manager
Brenda Schneider – Group Business Director
Hill Shore – Business Director
Lauren Lawson – Business Manager 

XYZ
Adrian Mojica – Director of Operations, XYZ
Whitney Green – Executive Producer, XYZ
Ryan Dunstan – Resource Manager, XYZ 
Lauren Galanides – Senior Producer, XYZ 
Pat Blumer – Edit Lead, XYZ
Sho Kellam – Assistant Editor, XYZ 
Rachel Hamburger – Assistant Editor, XYZ 

O Positive 
Jim Jenkins – Director
Marc Grill – Executive Producer
Vince Vennitti – DP
Toni Barton – Production Designer 

Company3 
Tim Masick – Colorist
Ryan Moncrief – Color Producer
Stephen Winterhalter – Color Assistant  

Parliament 
Creative Lead
Nathan Kane
Kathleen Kirkman 

Production
Anna Kravstov
Kat Maidment
Sebastien Le Coz 

Barking Owl 
Elizabeth McClanahan – Sound Designer & Mixer 
Ashley Benton – Executive Producer
Jenna Pangilinan – Associate Producer
Kelly Bayett – Creative Director