ESPN is shaking up its UFL broadcasts with an innovative new approach. The president of the United Football League told Awful Announcing that despite ongoing labor tensions, the UFL is “focused on playing ball” and they kicked off their second season in prime time on Fox Friday night. Fox will air the San Antonio Brahmas vs. Arlington Renegades on Saturday afternoon, while ESPN begins its UFL coverage on Sunday, March 30, with the Memphis Showboats vs. Michigan Panthers, followed by the Birmingham Stallions vs. DC Defenders.
According to Bill Bonnell, the network’s lead producer for the UFL, ESPN will implement an exciting broadcasting experiment by outfitting two players per team with chest cams, likely including a defensive leader who calls the formations. Additionally, Front Office Sports reports that Erin Dolan will join ESPN as a full-time in-game betting analyst for its UFL coverage, providing real-time insights during broadcasts.
FOS provided further context on Dolan’s expected role:
With the spring football league kicking off its new season despite threats of player strikes this weekend, ESPN is giving sports betting analyst Erin Dolan a new role. Dolan will appear on-air for pre-game, in-game, and half-time betting analysis on ESPN and ABC UFL broadcasts, delivering picks, reporting on betting tickets, and addressing popular props like touchdowns and quarterback props while providing live updates during key betting moments.
Dolan regularly appears on the ESPN BET Live studio show and during Sunday NFL Countdown, but the in-game nature of her UFL role presents a novel experiment for the network. ESPN’s Stormy Buonantony has offered similar commentary in a smaller capacity as an on-field reporter for the XFL and UFL.
“Since this format hasn’t been implemented throughout an entire broadcast before, we might experience some learning curves in the initial weeks, but we’ll adapt quickly,” Dolan told David Rumsey. “This will be an exciting experience for the audience, potentially showcasing a cool new aspect that other leagues might integrate into their broadcasts.” ESPN is taking a significant risk with Dolan’s remote in-game betting analysis, offering fans a fresh, real-time perspective on the betting landscape as the game unfolds. This bold experiment could redefine how networks incorporate betting commentary into sports broadcasts.
