ESPN's 6:00 p.m. edition of "SportsCenter" has new permanent anchors. Bristol veterans Sage Steele and Kevin Negandhi have been tapped for the role, per the Athletic's Richard Deitsch. One of the WorldWide Leader's signature studio properties has been without set hosts since "SC6" was cancelled in February.
Jemele Hill and Michael Smith debuted at the 6:00 p.m. "SportsCenter" in February 2017, following weeks of hype and promotional videos. At the onset, "SC6" was supposed to emphasize discussion above highlights, with a priority placed on cultural topics. But that format was scaled back after viewership for the time slot dropped. Hill was moved off the show early this year and Smith left "SportsCenter" shortly thereafter.
Ratings for the show have rebounded in recent months. Viewership for the 6:00 p.m. "SportsCenter" was up nine percent in April compared to last year.
Steele, who's been with ESPN since 2007, came under scrutiny last year for an Instagram post that derided airport protesters who were voicing their opposition to President Donald Trump's Muslim travel ban.
But it's unlikely Steele will take her conservative-leaning politics to the airwaves. In an interview on the "Dan Patrick Show" in August 2017, she said ESPN viewers don't want to hear about hot-button social topics on "SportsCenter."
