Scott Van Pelt has hosted major ESPN shows for over 20 years, witnessing significant shifts in sports media during the past five years. Nowadays, athletes have emerged as primary voices for sports fans on YouTube, podcasts, and even traditional TV, often overshadowing journalists.
Consequently, when Van Pelt hosts the midnight SportsCenter, he’s more likely to interview star athletes who possess their own platforms to convey messages or analyze games. These athletes might not share all their exclusive insights with him. Nonetheless, Van Pelt views this era of “new media” as not entirely negative.
During an appearance on the Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast, Van Pelt discussed how his role has evolved as figures like the Kelces and LeBron James leverage their platforms to express their views. “There’s a clear understanding among athletes that you own your voice, and you are in charge of your voice,” he noted. “It’s great for people to learn about athletes in a different way … because athletes have a space that they control the narrative … it’s very different.”
Van Pelt recalled a lighthearted moment when Jason Kelce opted out of a postgame interview after Monday Night Football, joking that Kelce might save his comments for his podcast. Despite the jest, he recognizes the truth in it—his focus is on capturing the emotions of significant moments in games, which can help elicit the best answers from athletes amid the thrill of competition.
“It is interesting that if you have something impactful and important to say, you want to say it on your platform, the way you want to say it,” Van Pelt stated. However, he emphasized the trust he builds with athletes: “People respect that I respect them, and know that you’re not going to get got. I’m trying to have a genuine conversation, and I’m interested in the competition-related aspects.”
Van Pelt believes his interviewing effectiveness is partly due to his longevity at ESPN. Having hosted midnight SportsCenter for nearly ten years, he feels most athletes are familiar with him and his approach. “I’ve done it long enough that I don’t meet strangers, if that makes sense,” he explained to the Kelces. “Even if we’ve never talked, we’re familiar with each other, and hopefully you’re familiar with how I approach things.”
By maintaining a focused interview style and handling his interactions with professionalism, Van Pelt has established himself as a dominant figure in postgame coverage across various sports on ESPN from Sunday through Thursday. Nevertheless, he remains conscious of adapting to the evolving landscape of sports media.
