If you’re anything like us, you may be wondering how you’re going to fill that sports-sized void now that most leagues are either cancelled or postponed. Hopefully live games are back in no time, but in the meantime, Sling TV is putting together a weekly list of what to watch in the sports world. Check back here every Friday for updates.
You can find everything from your “Sports” tab in the app. The “On Now” ribbon has everything new and live in the world of sports. Scroll down for ribbons organized by sport, where you’ll find great documentaries and On Demand games and events from the past year. Here’s what you can look forward to this week, April 17-24.
ESPN
With or without the global pandemic, this was shaping up to be an absolutely huge week for ESPN. It all kicks off tonight at 7pm ET with the 2020 WNBA Draft, which will see generational talent Sabrina Ionescu going number one to the New York Liberty (read our draft preview here). Next Thursday, April 23, the first round of the NFL Draft gets underway at 8pm. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow will be drafted at No. 1, followed by Ohio State defensive end Chase Young, but after that, things could get very interesting.
Normally, the draft would be the marquee event of late April but as you’re well aware, normal is away on an extended vacation. Instead, as he did so many times, Michael Jordan is flying in to save the day with The Last Dance, the hotly anticipated 10-part documentary series that was recently bumped up from June. Check out our recent Last Dance feature if you’re not up to speed on why this is a very big deal for so many of us.
NBCSN
Like last weekend, hockey fans can check out several championship-deciding games on NBC, including the LA Kings’ two most recent Stanley Cup victories on Saturday (airing back-to-back at 3pm and 4:30pm ET) and the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2013 and 2015 wins at the same time on Sunday. And NBCSN will continue their NFL replays on Sundays at 8pm with Super Bowl XLIX between the Patriots and Seahawks.
But the big event on NBCSN is its continuing Summer Olympics look back. This weekend will see the network wrapping up its coverage of the 2012 London games, while the week of April 20 will see a return to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Highlights include Usain Bolt making his name in record-breaking fashion, the U.S. sweeping beach volleyball golds, and Michael Phelps winning literally everything.
NFL Network
In addition to the NFL RedZone free preview featuring highlights from the homestretch of the 2019 season, the NFL Network will be very busy getting you ready for Thursday’s draft. From player interviews and highlights to more mock drafts than a film set in a bar, the NFL Network will make you an expert in no time. Their coverage of the draft will feature NFLN staples Rich Eisen, Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, and Pro Football Hall of Famers Michael Irvin and Kurt Warner all commentating from remote locations.
WWE
And finally, the WWE has been comparatively unaffected by the coronavirus crisis, thanks in part to the Governor of Florida designating them an essential business. But this afternoon, Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet broke the news that, in the interest of performer safety, they’re making some big changes to their production schedule. While the next two episodes of WWE SmackDown on Fox and Monday’s episode of Raw on USA Network will air live, the WWE will begin taping episodes in advance beginning Saturday, April 25. The new schedule will continue until the end of June; for a full taping and broadcast schedule, hit the link above.
Check back on our Sports Page every Friday for the latest developments in the world of sports television. The best thing about sports is people of all walks of life coming together. Since we can’t do that right now, let’s congregate around the TV. In the end, we’re all on the same team.
